PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Prime Minister how many  (a) men and  (b) women of each Civil Service grade are employed in Number 10 Downing street.

Gordon Brown: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to her by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Gillian Merron) today.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Voluntary Sector Funding

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what funding from the public purse was given to the voluntary sector for the delivery of public services in the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) estimates that for 2004-05 the total income from statutory sources to the voluntary sector was £10.2 billion. This has doubled from £5 billion in 1996-97. This is the most significant driver of the sector's financial growth in the last 10 years.

Civil Servants

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what procedures are in place to record hospitality or entertainment received by and offered to senior civil servants of his Department.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1095-96W.

Cyber-security and IT Resilience

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how often he holds discussions with other Government Departments on cyber-security and IT resilience.

Gillian Merron: Ministers meet regularly with colleagues in other Government Departments to discuss a wide range of issues.

Youth Volunteering

David Borrow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what support the Government plans to provide to encourage more young people to volunteer.

Phil Hope: As outlined in the Third Sector Review, the Government will be investing £117 million in youth volunteering through v from 2008-11. This is the biggest ever investment in youth volunteering.
	The youth-led volunteering charity v was established in May 2006 with the mission to inspire one million more young people to volunteer. Since its establishment, v has created over 200,000 volunteering opportunities for young people.
	As part of this, v launched vinvolved on 22 November which aims to create 500,000 more volunteering opportunities for young people.

Good Causes: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the funding likely to be distributed to good causes in the County Palatine in 2008.

Edward Miliband: The Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund has budgeted to distribute £375,000, up from £345,000 last year, of which £290,000 is allocated to the County Palatine and the balance to other geographical areas where the Duchy has links.

Third Sector

Julie Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the contribution of the third sector to the development of social policy; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon).

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: Chapter 7 of the ministerial code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Departmental Manpower

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Cabinet Office staff work in support of each of his Department's objectives.

Gillian Merron: The number of staff working in support of each of three Cabinet objectives can be found on page 50 of the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource accounts, copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) men and  (b) women are employed by the Cabinet Office, broken down by civil service grade.

Gillian Merron: The figures requested are published by the Office for National Statistics in "Civil Service Statistics". The latest figures are available in Table H of "Civil Service Statistics 2006" at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/2006CivilServiceStatistics.pdf

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Gillian Merron: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the "Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers" list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All overseas travel, including accommodation, is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Dorneywood

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the use of Dorneywood has been offered to Ministers, other than the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for official engagements.

Gillian Merron: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on Tuesday 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1077W.

Internet: Protection

James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department has spent on promoting and developing the Get Safe Online initiative.

Gillian Merron: The Cabinet Office has contributed £300,000 to the Get Safe Online initiative in the last three years alongside contributions from the corporate sponsors including eBay, HSBC, Microsoft, Cable and Wireless and Symantec. The Cabinet Office will be contributing a further £150,000 towards this year's ongoing awareness campaign which includes internet safety road shows, web advertising, online quizzes and competitions and direct marketing.
	Get Safe Online, a Government and industry initiative, plays an important role in raising awareness and promoting information on internet safety.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times on average members of his Department's staff based in the provincial reconstruction team in Lashkar Gah left the team's compound other than by air in each of the last six months.

Jim Murphy: Average monthly moves vary depending on the assessed security situation. For the last six months, an individual member has left the team's compound an average of 9.6 times per month by ground. This applies to all staff except those in an administrative/support role who are not expected to leave the base except by air.

Colombia: Kidnapping

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his Department have had with (i) French and (ii) Colombian officials on negotiations to secure the release of Ingrid Betancourt and other hostages kidnapped by Colombian guerillas; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: I have not held talks specifically on Ingrid Betancourt with French or Colombian counterparts. I and my noble Friend the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, have discussed the issue of hostage taking with our Colombian counterparts, within the context of the ongoing internal conflict in Colombia. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials and our ambassador in Bogota have held discussions on these issues with French and Colombian counterparts.
	Hostage taking in any form can never be justified. It is unacceptable that illegal armed groups in Colombia have kidnapped thousands of innocent civilians, including Mrs. Betancourt. EU Council Conclusions on Colombia, agreed in November 2007, included the following points on hostage taking and humanitarian exchanges of prisoners:
	"The Council strongly condemns the violations of International Humanitarian Law that continue to be committed by the illegal armed groups. In this context it demands that they stop kidnapping and all other acts of terrorism or violence against the civilian population forthwith. The Council reaffirms the EU's solidarity with the Colombian government, the Colombian people and all victims of those acts. It also reiterates its firm demand that the illegal armed groups stop kidnappings and release all detained hostages immediately and unconditionally, and cease all hostilities."
	"The Council hopes that progress will be made in taking forward negotiations between the Colombian government and illegal armed groups, in order to reach a humanitarian agreement, and secure the release of all hostages, to overcome the armed conflict and bring lasting peace to Colombia. In the same spirit, the European Union welcomes all initiatives taken with the Colombian government's support with the objective of promoting a successful peace process."

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the standard terms and conditions of purchase used by his Department in procurement of goods and services from the private sector prohibit the assignment of debt.

Jim Murphy: There is no express provision in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's model contracts prohibiting the assignment of debt. However, there is a provision which says that the contractor shall not assign, sub-contract or in any other way dispose of the contract or any part of it without the contracting authority's prior approval. On the basis that a prohibition on "assignment of debt" is a prohibition on a supplier from assigning money owed to it under a contract, we take this provision to mean that a contractor may not assign its debts, without approval from the contracting authority.

EC Reform: Treaties

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the means of securing an earlier termination of the term of office of the President of the European Council envisaged under the draft EU Reform Treaty; what representations he has received on the subject; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government support a full-time president of the European Council, appointed for a mandate of two and a half years, renewable once. He or she will replace the current president of the European Council, who changes every six months. He or she will be chosen by heads of state and government by qualified majority and will be accountable to them. Having a full-time chair of the European Council will bring greater coherence and consistency to the EU's actions; and will give member states greater capacity to give direction and momentum to the EU's agenda.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made in the cases of Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie, currently on trial in Ethiopia.

Jim Murphy: We continue to press for a quick, fair and transparent conclusion to the trial of Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made this clear when he met Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin on 13 November. More recently, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, Baroness Vadera, and our Ambassador in Addis Ababa reiterated this point when they met Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on 21 November.

EU Countries: Overseas Workers

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department compiles statistics on the numbers of British citizens resident and working in each of the new acessession states of the European Union.

Jim Murphy: Our network of posts overseas are asked each year to provide an estimate of the number of British nationals resident in their Consular areas. The results of the 2006-07 survey for those states that have joined the EU since 2004 (accession states) are recorded as follows. We do not, however, compile data about the specific activities of British citizens resident overseas.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Bulgaria 1,700 
			 Cyprus 57,500 
			 Czech Republic 3,183 
			 Estonia 220 
			 Hungary 2,640 
			 Latvia 400 
			 Lithuania 250 
			 Malta 6,000 
			 Poland 2,531 
			 Romania 6,000 
			 Slovakia 1,000 
			 Slovenia 157

EU Reform: Treaties

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what the roles of  (a) the EU External Action Service and  (b) his Department will be in developing areas of policy where a EU common position has been decided if the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely role of the EU External Action Service in  (a) the United Nations and  (b) the Commonwealth if the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified.

Jim Murphy: EU common positions are agreed by the member states in the Council by unanimity. This arrangement will not change following ratification of the EU reform treaty.
	No decisions have yet been taken on the organisation and functioning of the External Action Service, or on the timing of when formal discussions between the member states on the External Action Service should begin. But the treaty does provide for the organisation to assist the work of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to implement the decisions of the European Council and the Council, represent the Union for matters relating to the Common Foreign and Security Policy and organise the co-ordination of member states' action in international organisations and at international conferences. The treaty also specifies that the External Action Service shall operate in co-operation with the diplomatic services of the member states.

Foreign Policy

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 109W, if he will list the areas of foreign policy for which EU common positions are in place; and if he will make a statement on the legal constraints on individual member states on operating separate foreign policies within such areas.

Jim Murphy: Details of all current and former common positions can be found on the EU website
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm.
	These include common positions on policy towards Angola, Belarus, Burma, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iraq, Iran, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Liberia, Moldova, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Former Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe. Thematic areas covered by common positions include non-proliferation, counter terrorism, conflict prevention in Africa and the international criminal court.
	EU common positions are decided by the member states in the Council by unanimity. The UK will only agree to a common position when it is in line with our own policy. Once agreed member states commit themselves to supporting the common position—and this has been the case since the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty.

Instrument for Pre-Accession

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance has been allocated within the Instrument for Pre-Accession to  (a) Bosnia-Herzegovina,  (b) Serbia and  (c) Croatia for each year from 2007 to 2010.

David Miliband: The Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) came into force on 1 January 2007. IPA is a new, consolidated and simplified instrument that brings together previous funding streams and enhances donor co-ordination with international financial institutions. The UK provides 17.5 per cent. of the funding. Other significant donors are Germany (21.1 per cent.), France (16.4 per cent.) and Italy (13.6 per cent.).
	We are closely involved with the process of ensuring that the right projects are prioritised and funded. It funds projects in the two countries negotiating to join the EU (Croatia and Turkey) and the countries which are candidates or pre-candidates for EU membership in the Western Balkans. These projects are crucial to the delivery of reforms preparing countries for EU membership. They promote democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for the protection of minorities, as well as economic reform and increased capacity to implement EU law and standards in areas ranging from free movement of goods to the environment.
	Funding allocations for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia (not including Kosovo) for the period 2007-10 are:
	
		
			   € 
			  Bosnia and Herzegovina  
			 2007 662,100,000 
			 2008 74,800,000 
			 2009 89,100,000 
			 2010 106,000,000 
			   
			  Croatia  
			 2007 141,227,000 
			 2008 146,000,000 
			 2009 151,200,000 
			 2010 154,200,000 
			   
			  Serbia  
			 2007 189,700,000 
			 2008 190,900,000 
			 2009 194,800,000 
			 2010 198,700,000 
		
	
	The full indicative allocations under IPA for 2007-11 can be found at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2007/nov/miff_en.pdf.

Iran: Nuclear Power

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on whether the Government shares the assessment of the November 2007 National Intelligence Estimate by the US National Intelligence Council that Iran maintained a covert programme of nuclear weapon design, weaponisation work and covert uranium conversion-related and uranium enrichment-related work prior to 2003; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: It is not the practice of this or previous Governments to comment on intelligence matters. However, it is important to note that nothing in the National Intelligence Estimate changes the fundamental problem that we face which is Iran's pursuit of a uranium enrichment programme that has, as far as we can see, no civilian application. This is despite the unanimous demand from the UN Security Council and from the International Atomic Energy Agency that it stop doing so. Accordingly, we will continue to act in the UN, the EU and bilaterally to persuade Iran to change its approach and comply with its international responsibilities.

Iraq: Departmental Co-ordination

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, column 319W, on Iraq: departmental co-ordination, which department has the lead on implementing and monitoring the ex gratia assistance to be provided to Iraqi staff working for UK armed forces and civilian missions in Iraq.

David Miliband: There is no single Departmental lead. The Home Office has the lead on issues relating to the operation of the Gateway programme and the granting of leave to enter the UK, and co-ordinates closely with employing Government Departments on delivery of these aspects of the policy. Individual employing Departments are responsible for providing financial assistance to their own employees in line with the terms of the new policy. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to play a general co-ordinating role. Consistency is ensured by regular contacts between interested Departments in the UK and on the ground.

Israel: Frontiers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Israeli Government to reopen  (a) the Karim crossing and  (b) other closed crossings from Gaza.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) on 5 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1299-1300W.

Occupied Territories: Food

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Israeli authorities on ensuring that people living in Gaza are not deprived of access to  (a) food,  (b) water,  (c) medical supplies and  (d) electricity.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) on 5 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1299-1300W.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the Hamas administration in Gaza.

Kim Howells: We have repeatedly made clear that we are ready to engage with Hamas if they follow the Quartet (US, EU, UN and Russia) principles: renunciation of violence; recognition of Israel; and the acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap.
	President Abbas is the elected President for all Palestinian people. Our priority is to support President Abbas and the legitimate Palestinian Government led by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as they try to restore law and order in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
	The Government are committed to helping all Palestinians, including the people of Gaza. In 2007-08, the UK has provided £31 million bilaterally to the Palestinians: £15 million through the UN Relief and Works Agency; £1 million to the International Committee for the Red Cross' work in the West Bank and Gaza; and £15 million through the Temporary International Mechanism.

Russia: Elections

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received representations on the conduct of the recent elections to the State Duma in Russia; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: A number of parliamentarians have expressed concern to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the conduct of the recent Duma elections in Russia. We share these concerns. In a statement of 3 December the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that, if proved correct, allegations of electoral malpractice would suggest that the elections were neither free nor fair.
	It is deeply disappointing that Russia prevented the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) specialist election monitoring body, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), from observing the elections. They would have provided expert, independent election monitoring. At the OSCE Ministerial Council in Madrid immediately prior to the elections, my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, Jim Murphy, said,
	"we regret that ODIHR has recently faced a number of unprecedented restrictions and bureaucratic obstacles to observing the Russian Duma elections".
	It is vital that the Russian Central Election Commission urgently investigates all allegations of electoral abuses and that the Russian government puts in place systems to ensure that the presidential elections in March 2008 will be transparent and democratic.

Tristan da Cunha: Viral Diseases

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government has offered Tristan da Cunha following the outbreak of an acute virus on the island.

Jim Murphy: A flu outbreak on Tristan da Cunha has, in turn, triggered a rise in the cases of asthma on the island. Those affected are receiving treatment. The island has enough current stocks of the necessary drugs for this not to be an emergency situation now. But the isolation of the island, which has no airport and is a minimum of six days by sea from South Africa, makes supplying the island with further stocks difficult.
	Following close liaison with the administrator on Tristan da Cunha, the Department for International Development, the Ministry of Defence and others, however, are making arrangements to provide an additional supply of drugs in advance of the next regular ship's visit to the island at the end of January 2008. We hope to be able to deliver these supplies to the island on a Royal Navy vessel around 15 December.

Turkey-UK Strategic Partnership Agreement

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Turkey-UK Strategic Partnership Agreement, what discussions were held with the Cyprus government on those parts of the agreement that refer to Cyprus prior to its signing; what his definition is of high level contacts with Turkish Cypriot authorities; what his policy is on  (a) the engagement of TRNC universities with the Bologna Process,  (b) the right of Turkish Cypriots to representation in the European Parliament and  (c) direct commercial, economic, political and cultural contact between the UK, EU and Turkish Cypriots; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Strategic Partnership document reflects the breadth of co-operation between the UK and Turkish governments, with a focus on issues of importance to all EU partners. It is also intended to promote an objective, shared by the UK and Cyprus, of ensuring that Turkey meets all of its obligations towards the EU, including full normalisation of relations with its neighbours, and implementation of the Ankara agreement protocol. As an EU partner, the UK is firmly committed to holding Turkey to the stringent accession criteria already in place. We will continue to engage with Turkey at the most senior levels in order to achieve this.
	The UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership does not represent a change in our policy towards the government of Cyprus. As such, there were no discussions with Cyprus prior to its signing.
	I made it clear in my written ministerial statement on 7 November,  Official Report, columns 5-6WS that the UK does not recognise the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", and that nothing in the UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership represents a change to this policy. We do, however, have regular contacts with the Turkish Cypriot community on a range of issues, most importantly, encouraging them to play a full part in the UN settlement process.
	Officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are in contact with Turkish Cypriot academics on how to raise Turkish Cypriot educational standards. These contacts have sought to promote an exchange of ideas between educational establishments on practical issues. The aim is to ensure Turkish Cypriot universities are able to maintain standards comparable with those institutions that are members of the Bologna process.
	Turkish Cypriots are European citizens. Our preferred means to enfranchise them would be a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem that enables them to elect representatives to the European Parliament in the normal way. In the absence of a settlement, we welcome interest shown by Turkish Cypriots in the European Parliament; and by European parliamentarians in the Turkish Cypriot community—not least through oversight of the implementation of the Aid Regulation by the Commission.
	The EU made a commitment in April 2004, reiterated in January 2007, to
	"end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and facilitate the reunification of Cyprus"
	with
	"particular emphasis on the economic integration of the island and on improving contact between the two communities and with the EU".
	We fully support these objectives.

Turkey-UK Strategic Partnership Agreement

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions of the Turkey-UK Strategic Partnership Agreement that refer to contact with Turkish Cypriots on (a) UK policy on the status of the TRNC and (b) perceptions of UK policy in (i) Cyprus, (ii) Turkey and (iii) the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I have made it clear in my written ministerial statement on 7 November,  Official Report, columns 5-6WS, that we do not recognise the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", and that nothing in the UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership represents a change to this policy. We do, however, maintain regular contacts with the Turkish Cypriot community on a range of issues, most importantly, encouraging them to play a full part in the UN settlement process
	Our priority towards Cyprus remains full support for the implementation of the UN's 8 July agreement leading to a comprehensive and durable settlement. We also support the EU's efforts to
	"end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and facilitate the reunification of Cyprus".
	We shall continue to take every effort to build and strengthen our relations with Cyprus and take forward common goals, including reunification of the island, and Turkish membership of the EU.

Turkey-UK Strategic Partnership Agreement

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with his Turkish counterpart prior to signing the Turkey-UK Strategic Partnership Agreement on  (a) immigration from Turkey to Cyprus and  (b) reducing the Turkish military presence in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership Agreement focuses on the long-term strategic objectives between Turkey and the UK. During the recent meeting between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister pressed the Turkish Prime Minister to support the UN process and work towards a Cyprus settlement. Our policy has always been to encourage all parties, including Turkey, to play a full part in the UN settlement process.
	Security and immigration are core issues that will ultimately need to be addressed in the course of substantive negotiations to achieve a comprehensive settlement. We continue to support the 8 July process and hope that genuine negotiations can start as soon as possible. We do believe, however, that a reduction in the number of Turkish troops will help build trust on the island.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Director of Public Prosecutions

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General what process was followed in the appointment of the Director of Public Prosecutions; where the post was advertised; how many persons applied for the post; how many were short-listed for interview; whether consideration was given to a candidate's political views; how each was appraised; what criteria were adopted for each candidate; how many candidates were rejected; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The Director of Public Prosecutions was appointed by the then Attorney-General in 2003. He was unanimously recommended for the post by a panel which was chaired by the then First Civil Service Commissioner and also comprised two permanent secretaries and a serving Appeal Court judge. The post was advertised in the national media and a firm of executive search consultants was engaged. Sixteen applications were considered and three candidates were interviewed. Ken Macdonald QC was identified as the best candidate for his experience, his leadership qualities and vision. Candidates' political views were not a relevant consideration.

Frigates: Romania

Harry Cohen: To ask the Solicitor-General with reference to the answer of 23 April 2007,  Official Report, column 867W, on frigates: Romania, what the status is of the investigation.

Vera Baird: The Serious Fraud Office is investigating alleged offences involving BAE Systems plc. Further comment cannot be made for cases currently under investigation.

Martin Allen

Norman Baker: To ask the Solicitor-General for what reason the Crown Prosecution Service took the decision that it was not in the public interest to proceed with the prosecution of Martin Allen.

Vera Baird: In order to commence a prosecution, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) applies a two-stage test. First, there has to be sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction. Secondly, if there is sufficient evidence, it has to be in the public interest to prosecute. A prosecution will normally take place unless there are public interest factors tending against a prosecution which clearly outweigh those tending in favour of a prosecution.
	Having thoroughly reviewed the available evidence, the CPS concluded that there was sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction against Mr. Allen for a number of criminal offences, but that there were a number of public interest factors against a prosecution, which outweighed those in favour.
	A comprehensive list of common public interest factors for and against prosecution can be found in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
	In this case, matters relating to Mr. Allen's health and the surrounding circumstances were significant in deciding that a prosecution was not in the public interest. It would not be appropriate to give further details, as this would breach confidentiality.

Martin Allen

Norman Baker: To ask the Solicitor-General what  (a) legal advice and  (b) recommendations the Crown Prosecution Service received from counsel before taking the decision whether to prosecute Martin Allen; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: An advice file was submitted by the Metropolitan Police to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in September 2005. As part of its review, the CPS requested advice from counsel on what, if any, criminal offences had been committed by Mr. Allen.
	In October 2005, the CPS received counsel's advice. Counsel concluded (assuming that a number of facts could be proved) that there may be sufficient evidence to charge Mr. Allen with three offences: one alleging forgery, one alleging the use of forged documents and one alleging criminal damage. Counsel's advice was based upon the prosecution being able to prove a number of facts. In relation to two of those facts, counsel made suggestions as to how they might be proved.
	Following an extensive and complex investigation, in March 2007, the CPS concluded that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr. Allen for three offences. However, having considered the public interest factors in favour of a prosecution and those against, the CPS concluded that the factors against a prosecution outweighed those in favour. Accordingly, the Metropolitan Police were advised that a prosecution was not required in the public interest.

Prisoners Learning and Skills Unit

Nick Hurd: To ask the Solicitor-General what resources have been provided to the Prisoners Learning and Skills Unit since its formation; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of its work; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	The resources provided to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills' Offenders Learning and Skills Unit (OLSU), and its predecessors, since the transfer of offender learning and skills, in 2001, are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Budget ( £  million) 
			 2001-02 57 
			 2002-03 73 
			 2003-04 116 
			 2004-05 126 
			 2005-06 151 
			 2006-07 156 
			 2007-08 144 
		
	
	These totals include funding for prison libraries, salaries for heads of learning and skills in prisons, and capital funding.
	The OLSU has been effective in raising the profile of the skills and employment agenda for offenders in custody and in the community. The 2005 Green Paper "Reducing Re-offending Through Skills and Employment" and the follow-up "Reducing Re-offending Through Skills and Employment: Next Steps" (2006) documents have set out a clear agenda for action for the strong partnership between the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Racial Violence

Jo Swinson: To ask the Solicitor-General how many  (a) charges and  (b) convictions there were for incitement to racial hatred in each of the last 10 years.

Vera Baird: The Attorney-General's office keeps data on prosecutions under Part III of the Public Order Act 1986, relating to offences concerning conduct intended to, or likely to, stir up racial hatred. The following table captures the relevant AGO data for the period 1997 to 2007 inclusive. The AGO statistics are recorded by reference to the year in which each case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service by the police, rather than the year in which an offender was charged or eventually convicted.
	
		
			   Number of persons charged  Number of persons convicted  Other outcome( 1) 
			 1997 7 4 1A,1D,1 stayed 
			 1998 0 0 — 
			 1999 5 3 1A,1D 
			 2000 8 5 2A,1 D 
			 2001 2 1 ID 
			 2002 1 1 — 
			 2003 8 7 ID 
			 2004 8 3 2A,2O, 1 died 
			 2005 2 2 — 
			 2006 3 3 — 
			 2007 0 0 — 
			 Total 44 29 15 
			 (1) Key to abbreviations: A = acquitted D = dropped O = ongoing

WALES

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether it is his Department's policy to use  (a) incandescent light bulbs and  (b) LED lights for festive decorations on departmental premises.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office always seeks to use low energy products and currently uses low voltage, clear multifunctional lights for decorations.

Christmas

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's policy is on the selection of  (a) real and  (b) artificial Christmas trees for his Department's festive decorations; and how real trees are disposed of.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office uses both real trees and artificial trees. Its real trees are obtained from sustainable resources, via the Ministry of Justice, which also provides the facility for disposal and recycling of the trees.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many air miles were travelled by Ministers in his Department in each year since 2000; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced as a result.

Peter Hain: Information prior to 2004 was not held in this format and can be only provided at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Miles  CO 2  tonnes 
			 2004-05 12,270 2.9 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2006-07 676 0.2 
		
	
	In 2006-07 all air travel carbon emissions were offset using PURE Trust as recommended through DEFRA.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many miles he and other Ministers in his Department travelled on short haul flights in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon emissions produced as a result of these flights.

Peter Hain: In the last 12 months Wales Office Ministers have travelled 813 miles with an estimated carbon emissions of 0.4 tonnes CO2.
	The Wales Office will be offsetting all carbon emissions from air travel for 2007-08.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the standard terms and conditions of purchase used by his Department in the procurement of goods and services from the private sector prohibit the assignment of debt.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office follows the Ministry of Justice procurement policy.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equal Pay

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of any pay gap between male and female staff in the Government Equalities Office.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 4 December 2007
	 Since the formation of the Government Equalities Office in summer 2007, no assessment has been made. However, as a matter of good practice, we will consider pay issues once the terms and conditions of the new office have been finalised.

Ethnic Minorities

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what proportion of staff in the Government Equalities Office are  (a) male,  (b) female,  (c) black and minority ethnic male and  (d) black and minority ethnic female.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 4 December 2007
	 Following the announcement of the establishment in summer 2007 of the Government Equalities Office, staff transferred from the Communities and Local Government. The following data do not include a number of staff who have recently joined the office.
	These figures also incorporate staff numbers from the Women's National Commission.
	
		
			   Percentage 
			  (a) Male 40 
			  (b) Female 60 
			  (c) BME male 8 
			  (d) BME female 15

IPPR: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what funding the Commission for Equality and Human Rights has provided to  (a) the IPPR and  (b) IPPR Ltd., in relation to community cohesion, in the last 24 months, and for what projects.

Barbara Follett: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (the Commission) has awarded one contract to IPPR for the supply of a series of stakeholder events in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. These events were held on 20 July 2007, 23 July 2007 and 11 September 2007. This contract amounted to £25,549.06. No funding has been provided to IPPR Ltd in relation to community cohesion.
	The roundtable events were planned to enable the Commission to explore with stakeholders their views on a range of equalities and human rights public policy issues. Because of the Commission's remit and mandate, community cohesion will have been discussed at these events, along with other equality and human rights areas.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Noise

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on aircraft noise  (a) at Heathrow airport and  (b) in the surrounding London boroughs in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Noise exposure contours at Heathrow are prepared for the Department by the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) noise modelling experts and are reported annually, together with maps indicating the noise impacts on the surrounding area. The CAA has also produced a report, 'Revised Future Aircraft Noise Exposure Estimates for Heathrow Airport', as part of our current consultation 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport'. These documents are all available on the Department's website (www.dft.gov.uk) along with information on aircraft noise at night, which informed consultation last year on night flying restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

Cycling: Accidents

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents there were involving cyclists in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency and  (b) Lancashire in each year since 2000.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one pedal cycle in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency and  (b) Lancashire in each year since 2000 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of accidents 
			   Ribble Valley constituency( 1)  Lancashire county council 
			 2000 17 511 
			 2001 33 509 
			 2002 19 450 
			 2003 18 422 
			 2004 18 456 
			 2005 24 469 
			 2006 29 414 
			 (1) Based on 2004 parliamentary constituency boundaries.

Departmental Official Visits

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) short and  (b) long haul flights were taken by Ministers and officials in her Department in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the "Civil Service Management Code", the "Ministerial Code" and "Travel by Ministers".

London City Airport

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions her Department has had with the London Borough of Bexley planning authority on the impact of an increase in the number of aircraft arriving at and departing from London City Airport on the vector path over that borough;
	(2)  what discussions her Department has had with the relevant planning authorities on increasing the number of aircraft arriving at and departing from London City Airport;
	(3)  if she will place in the Library copies of exchanges between her Department and the London Borough of Newham on proposals to increase the number of aircraft arriving at and departing from London City Airport.

Tom Harris: No such discussions have taken place. The 2003 White Paper "The Future of Air Transport" recognised that the airport served a niche business market and was likely to demonstrate steady growth. In principle, the Government support its development, subject to relevant environmental considerations.
	The White Paper does not itself authorise or preclude any particular development, but sets out a policy framework that will guide decisions on future planning applications. Ultimately, it is for airport owners and operators to bring forward proposals for airport development in the normal way, through the statutory land-use planning system.
	Furthermore, Ministers have a quasi-judicial role in the planning process with regard to transport-related applications raised on appeal. It would, therefore, be prejudicial for Ministers to comment on, or discuss, matters that are subject to a planning application and may come before a planning inquiry.

Network Rail

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to benchmark the performance of Network Rail.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), as the independent regulator, undertakes extensive benchmarking of Network Rail's performance. It has recently benchmarked Network Rail's asset management against a range of international comparators and is in the process of benchmarking Network Rail's costs against international railways. Network Rail also carries out internal benchmarking.

Railways: Finance

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total funding commitment from the public purse is for  (a) Crossrail,  (b) the Manchester Rail Hub and  (c) the improvement to the trans-Pennine crossrail links in each of the next five years.

Tom Harris: holding answer 19 November 2007
	The public funding commitment in each of the next five years for Crossrail, from the Department for Transport and Transport for London, is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 500 
			 2009-10 694 
			 2010-11 1,052 
			 2011-12 1,410 
			 2012-13 2,049 
		
	
	The Government have set out in broad terms in the High Level Output Specification (HLOS), published in July this year, the additional passenger capacity it intends should be provided for the cities of Manchester and Leeds, and for trans-Pennine links. The Department for Transport is in discussion with Network Rail and the train operating companies about how best to add the improvements to the local and regional Manchester train services on to the committed December 2008 West Coast service enhancements for Manchester. In addition, a number of Manchester station improvements are being developed.
	Network Rail are about to undertake a feasibility study to identify how best to address future rail capacity issues through Manchester. This is in response to the priority attached by the three Northern regions to providing additional passenger and freight capacity through Manchester to support economic growth across the north as a whole.
	The Department is also actively considering the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities' bid for the Transport Innovation Fund.
	It is too early at this stage to forecast the likely costs of the Manchester Rail Hub and the trans-Pennine rail links.

Rolling Stock

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has spent on the Competition Commission's investigation into rail rolling stock companies.

Tom Harris: The Department has spent £1,675,287.63 on external advice relating to the Competition Commission's investigation into rail rolling stock companies, between 2005-06 and 2007-08.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to use double decker trains on the rail network.

Tom Harris: The Department considered with industry the use of double decker trains as an option for increasing capacity in preparation for issuing the recent White Paper "Delivering a Sustainable Railway". The conclusions are presented in a report "Preliminary Evaluation of Double Deck and Extra Long Train Operations" prepared by Network Rail and published on the Department's website. They suggest that the constraints of the UK network make double decker trains less cost-effective than other options and that this is likely to remain the case for the foreseeable future.

Southeastern Railway Company: Franchises

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will place in the Library the correspondence between her Department and the Southeastern Railway Company that resulted in the Department's derogation from the operating franchise agreement enabling the company to increase fares from Sidcup and Albany Park stations in excess of the Retail Price Index plus 3 per cent. formula previously in place.

Tom Harris: I have arranged for the relevant documents to be placed in the Library.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will assess the merits of erecting speed limit signs alongside signs indicating the presence of speed cameras in terms of road safety; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We want speed camera enforcement to be highly visible and drivers to be made fully aware of the presence of cameras and the speed limit on the road. The Department's guidance on the use of speed cameras therefore already encourages that speed limit and camera warning signs should be co-located where permitted and practicable. Furthermore for fixed cameras the guidance encourages the speed limit sign and camera sign to be visible to the driver in the same view as the camera.

Stonehenge

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on consultation on the Stonehenge by-pass.

Tom Harris: h olding answer 11 December 2007
	 : The Highways Agency is currently collating this information and will place it in the House Libraries when the House returns from Christmas recess in January.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Community Support Officers

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in assessing the Police Service of Northern Ireland's business case for police community support officers; and what the expected timeframe is for this process.

Paul Goggins: The Police Service of Northern Ireland's business case for police community support officers has been approved.
	The timing of the introduction of PCSOs depends on wider financial and operational considerations and is a matter for the Chief Constable and the Policing Board to determine.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ACP Countries: EU External Trade

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the policy of the Government is on the end of the EU-African, Caribbean and Pacific countries sugar protocol; and what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that producers in developing countries do not experience hardship from the end to the Protocol.

Gareth Thomas: The ending of the sugar protocol (SP) must be seen in the wider context of the 'Everything but Arms' agreement with the least developed countries, the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the common agricultural policy (CAP) sugar reforms in the EC. The EPA offers all ACP countries the opportunity to export, in the medium term, sugar duty free and quota free to the EC. For the UK, improving access to the EC market for all ACP countries is an important requirement to ensure that EPAs live up to their potential to be tools for development.
	We recognise that the CAP sugar reforms and the end of the SP will present challenges for many of the 18 ACP countries that are signatory to the SP. We have always been clear that such countries require transitional assistance in order to adapt their economies to face the challenges. As a result of our lobbying, the European Commission has made available €1.284 billion over the period of 2006-13 directly from its budget. The 18 signatory countries will all benefit from this transitional assistance and they will have to draw up a national action plan to show how they will spend their allocation. DFID provided financial support totalling £200,000 to the six Caribbean countries that are part of the ACP-SP to help them draw up their national action plans.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many times on average individual members of his Department's staff based in the provincial reconstruction team in Lashkar Gah left the team's compound other than by air in each of the last six months.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has one member of staff, a development adviser, based in the provincial reconstruction team. Over the last six months, the development adviser has left the provincial reconstruction team compound an average of 12-15 times per month by road for meetings and visits within Lashkar Gah.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government has taken to work with authorities in Bangladesh to minimise the impact of future natural disasters.

Gareth Thomas: The UK has been working in Bangladesh on Disaster Risk Reduction for a number of years. After the devastating cyclone that struck Bangladesh in 1991, killing 140,000 people, the UK supported the building of cyclone shelters and shelter houses. We have committed £6 million to the Government of Bangladesh's (GoB) Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP)—which includes work on practical ways to help people cope with more frequent and severe disasters. This is a five year programme (2004-09) focused on improving disaster management—shifting from conventional responses and relief to a more comprehensive risk reduction culture.
	The UK is also developing a new climate change programme to continue to build GoB's capacity to mainstream climate change in its developmental planning, and effectively engage both domestically and internationally on climate change issues. The programme will take forward the second phase of the successful Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme, as well as addressing other gaps—such as national research and modelling, and adaptation planning within vulnerable sectors (eg water resources, agriculture).

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) men and  (b) women of each civil service grade are employed by his Department.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) employs both home civil servants (HCS) and locally engaged staff (known as staff appointed in country or SAIC), who work in our more than 60 overseas offices. SAIC are not civil servants. They are employed on local terms and conditions of service, but within the same broad grading structure.
	Gender data are supplied by staff on a voluntary basis. The numbers who have chosen not to provide this information are shown as N/D ("not declared"). The following table shows the numbers by gender and grade as at the end of November 2007.
	
		
			   HCS  SAIC  
			  Grade  Men  Women  Total  Men  Women  N/D  Total 
			 SCS 61 32 93 0 0 0 0 
			 A1 153 83 236 3 1 0 4 
			 A2 232 217 449 19 18 4 41 
			 A2(L) 56 71 127 38 35 5 78 
			 B1D 30 42 72 0 0 0 0 
			 B1 142 115 257 33 50 10 93 
			 B2 101 147 248 82 117 25 224 
			 C1 69 141 210 78 143 25 246 
			 C2 14 11 25 58 17 3 78 
			 C3 n/a n/a n/a 37 9 1 47 
			 C4 n/a n/a n/a 1 2 0 3 
			 D1 n/a n/a n/a 21 0 9 30 
			 D2 n/a n/a n/a 10 0 0 10 
			 D4 n/a n/a n/a 3 2 0 5 
			 Total 858 859 1,717 383 394 82 859 
			 n/a = not applicable

Departmental Pay

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what proportion of his Department's staff are employed within each salary band; what the title and role of each position within each salary band is; and for each salary band what the  (a) bonus structure,  (b) retirement provision,  (c) expenses provision,  (d) total expenses incurred in each of the last 10 years,  (e) average age of employee,  (f) number of (i) women and (ii) men and  (g) ethnic composition is.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) employs both home civil servants (HCS) and locally engaged staff (known as staff appointed in country or SAIC), who work in more than 60 overseas offices. SAIC are employed on local terms and conditions. Salaries paid to SAIC vary from country to country to reflect conditions in the local labour markets.
	DFID's HCS and SAIC workforce is structured around a grade hierarchy, rather than by salary band. There are numerous job titles and roles that fall within each grade, covering administrative, technical and advisory staff, and it is not therefore possible to assign staff numbers to each title or role.
	As of the end of November 2007, the number of staff by grade and those as a proportion of the total are as shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Grade  Home civil servants  Staff appointed in country  Total  Percentage of total by grade 
			 SCS 93 0 93 3.6 
			 A1 236 4 240 9.3 
			 A2 449 41 490 19.0 
			 A2(L) 127 78 205 8.0 
			 B1D 72 0 72 2.8 
			 B1 257 93 350 13.6 
			 B2 248 224 472 18.3 
			 C1 210 246 456 17.7 
			 C2 25 78 103 4.0 
			 C3 n/a 47 47 1.8 
			 C4 n/a 3 3 0.1 
			 D1 n/a 30 30 1.2 
			 D2 n/a 10 10 0.4 
			 D3 n/a 0 0 0 
			 D4 n/a 5 5 0.2 
			 Total 1,717 859 2,576 100 
			 n/a= not applicable 
		
	
	 (a) There are separate bonus structures for staff in the Senior Civil Service (SCS) and those at other grades. All bonus payments are non-consolidated for pay purposes, and non-pensionable. The approximate proportion of the overall pay bill allocated to bonus payments made to HCS in 2006-07 was 1.4 per cent.
	 (b) The majority of HCS are eligible to join the civil service pensions schemes, and retirement benefits are paid in accordance with the rules of those schemes. Further information is available from the civil service pensions website, at
	www.civilservice-pensions.gov.uk
	SAIC are not eligible to join the civil service pensions schemes. Any superannuation arrangements for this group are determined locally, based on local practice and feasibility.
	 (c) All staff are entitled to seek reimbursement of necessary out-of-pocket expenses. HCS based overseas are also entitled to receive an allowance to compensate for any additional cost of everyday goods and services, which ensures that their income has the same purchasing power as in the UK.
	 (d) The payment of expenses is administered independently by each of our departments and offices overseas, and the total value of those payments incurred in the last 10 years could only be obtained and collated at disproportionate cost.
	 (e) The average age of our employees, the  (f) number of women and men, and  (g) ethnic composition is shown in the following tables, but age, gender and ethnicity are all provided by staff on a voluntary basis. The numbers who have chosen not to provide this information is shown as "N/D"—not declared.
	
		
			  Home Civil Servants 
			Gender  Ethnicity  
			  Grade  Average Age  Men  Women  Asian  Black  Mixed  White  N/D  Other  Total 
			 SCS 47 61 32 2 2 2 69 16 2 93 
			 A1 47 153 83 5 2 5 188 32 4 236 
			 A2 40 232 217 17 6 10 301 111 4 449 
			 A2(L) 44 56 71 6 4 1 93 21 2 127 
			 B1D 29 30 42 2 4 0 26 40 0 72 
			 B1 42 142 115 14 8 10 192 31 2 257 
			 B2 41 101 147 12 11 4 186 32 3 248 
			 C1 45 69 141 4 16 4 144 40 2 210 
			 C2 52 14 11 2 3 0 17 3 0 25 
			 Total 42 858 859 64 56 36 1,216 326 19 1,717 
		
	
	
		
			  Staff appointed-in-country( 1) 
			Gender  Ethnicity  
			  Grade  Average Age  Men  Women  Asian  Black  Mixed  White  N/D  Other  Total 
			 A1 51 3 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 
			 A2 42 19 18 4 2 0 0 39 0 41 
			 A2(L) 40 38 35 5 0 1 0 77 0 78 
			 B1 39 33 50 10 1 3 2 86 1 93 
			 B2 38 82 117 25 3 4 1 216 0 224 
			 C1 36 78 143 25 2 3 0 241 0 246 
			 C2 39 58 17 3 1 1 0 76 0 78 
			 C3 42 37 9 1 0 1 0 45 1 47 
			 C4 31 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 
			 D1 45 21 0 9 0 0 0 30 0 30 
			 D2 35 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 10 
			 D4 34 3 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 5 
			 Total 39 383 394 82 9 13 3 832 2 859 
			 ( 1) 86 SAIC have not declared their age. The average age by grade for this group has been calculated only for those who have.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department and its agencies spent on end-of-year bonus payments in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: DFID operates two separate bonus schemes: one for the senior civil service (SCS) and another for staff below the SCS.
	The following two tables give the total value of bonuses awarded to DFID staff in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 377,579 
			 2003-04 475,101 
			 2004-05 497,350 
			 2005-06 892,965 
			 2006-07 1,062,233 
		
	
	DFID has no agencies to which this question applies.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the standard terms and conditions of purchase used by his Department in procurement of goods and services from the private sector prohibits the assignment of debt.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's general terms and conditions used to engage the private sector in the procurement of goods and services do not make specific reference to the prohibition of assignment of debt. However, our standard contract for services prohibits the consultant from assigning any of its rights under the contract without the prior written consent of DFID.
	Procurement Agents who place contracts for goods on behalf of DFID also include a standard provision in their contracts with suppliers which prohibits the assignment of any rights under the contract without prior agreement.

Departmental Research

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government has taken to improve research methods and practices in his Department.

Gareth Thomas: DFID formed the Central Research Department (CRD) in 2003 to improve the management and delivery of its long-term research programmes. DFID's research is guided by a Research Funding Framework that sets out what DFID will fund and how. Programmes have clear thematic priorities (for example, climate adaptation) and emphasis is placed on measuring outcomes and impact. Research methods are assessed for rigour, particularly at the start of the programme and through regular reviews. These are usually led by eminent researchers. Advisory groups provide independent and quality advice to the research programmes.
	Improvements have been made to the way research is funded. For example, bilateral research is mainly funded through Research Programme Consortia (RPC), which are collaborations between research institutions world-wide. Some research is funded through multi-donor and global initiatives (for example, Medicines for Malaria Venture) to improve efficiency and effectiveness. DFID also works with other donors and UK research councils to improve efficiency and scientific rigour, and DFID is supporting the new UK Collaborative on Development Sciences, which brings together UK funders and stakeholders to improve the co-ordination of development sciences research in the UK. DFID has also appointed a Chief Scientific Adviser to ensure the Department has a clear vision for the role of science and innovation in development.
	DFID is placing more emphasis on making its research accessible. For example DFID has a research portal (www.research4development.info), which allows free access to information about DFID's research.

Poverty

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Government has spent on research into poverty reduction since 1997.

Shahid Malik: DFID's Central Research Department spending on research on key development policies and technologies over the past three years is shown as follows. Comparable figures for earlier years cannot be obtained without incurring a disproportionate cost. These figures exclude spending on research programmes funded through country offices or via multilateral organisations.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 88.6 
			 2005-06 101.7 
			 2006-07 112.0

OLYMPICS

Olympic Board Secretariat

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether she plans to relocate the Secretariat to the Olympic Board from Canary Wharf to Whitehall; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 13 November 2007
	 Prior to September 2007, the secretariat function for the Olympic Board was undertaken by the Olympic Programme Support Unit (OPSU). While OPSU were situated in Canary Wharf, they were based for administrative purposes within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
	In September 2007, this secretariat function moved to the Government Olympic Executive, situated and based at DCMS.
	The decision to replace OPSU was taken to improve the quality of secretariat support being provided to the Olympic Board.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Travel

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1595W.

Departmental Travel

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 19 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1365W.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) men and  (b) women are employed by his Department, broken down by civil service grade.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A table of results showing the number of staff the Department for Culture, Media and Sport employs, broken down by gender and civil service grade are as follows:
	
		
			  Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), DCMS employees, by gender and grade 
			  Grade  Male  Female 
			 Permanent Secretary 1 0 
			 SCS3 3 0 
			 SCS2 7 2 
			 SCS1 11 8 
			 SCS1A 1 0 
			 Grade A(U) 11 9 
			 Grade A 56 38 
			 Grade B 92 78 
			 Grade HEOD 8 7 
			 Grade C 59 63 
			 Grade D 19 31 
			 All employees 268 236 
			  Key: Grade A = Former Grades 6/7 Grade B = Former SEO/HEO/HEO(D) and equivalent grades Grade HEOD = Fast Stream Grade C = Former EO and equivalent grades Grade D = Former AO/AA and equivalent grades.

Digital Broadcasting

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many national digital radio stations  (a) there are and  (b) he expects there to be by the end of 2008.

James Purnell: There are currently 19 national DAB digital radio stations. A second national commercial multiplex, awarded by Ofcom to 4 Digital Group, is planned to launch in 2008 with a further eight services. We do not hold figures on the total number of national stations available on other digital platforms.

Digital Radio Working Group

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff will be seconded from his Department to the Digital Radio Working Group.

James Purnell: There are no plans for any staff to be seconded formally to the Digital Radio Working Group. Current plans are for around 1.5 members of staff (full time equivalent) to provide support to the group, although this may change as the work of the group develops.

Leisure Facilities

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many local authorities have applied for funding from his Department to help fund local leisure facilities in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The only direct DCMS funding stream, to help local authorities fund leisure facilities, over the stated time period has been PFI Credits.
	In the last five years, we have held three bidding rounds for PFI Credits under which local authorities could apply for funding in the form of PFI Credits. A table showing the number of applications we received, for each of the bidding rounds, for local leisure facilities are as follows:
	
		
			   Number of applications 
			 2002 11 
			 2003 12 
			 2005 17

Licensed Premises

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish a comparison of average costs for licensed premises incurred under  (a) the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 in the first year after the Act came into force and  (b) the provisions of the Licensing Act 1964 in the 12 months before the Licensing Act 2003 came into force.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not possible to calculate a meaningful average total cost of the licensing regime for each licensed premises as the costs of compliance with licence conditions are not recorded and will be specific to each individual premises. In addition, not all temporary event notices are given by licensed premises and not all personal licences costs are incurred by licensed premises.
	However, a recent exercise to calculate the administrative burdens of the Licensing Act 2003 using the standard cost model method of measurement has estimated that the 2003 Act imposes an annual administrative burden of approximately £86 million per year. The estimated total cost of the old licensing regimes was approximately £183 million per year. This included the costs of the Licensing Act 1964, but also the costs of the other relevant regimes including those relating to the licensing of public entertainment and late night refreshment. The administrative burdens do not include the cost of transition, nor licence fees nor compliance with licence conditions.

Licensing: Alcoholic Drinks

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his most recent estimate is of the cost of obtaining and maintaining a liquor licence under the Licensing Act 2003; what differences there are between this estimate and the estimate contained in the regulatory impact assessment presented with the Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The regulatory impact assessment which accompanied the Licensing Bill estimated that the annual compliance cost of a licence to sell alcohol under the new regime would be between £130-£5,760.
	We have not sought to quantify the costs of the new regime on the same basis. However, our recent exercise to look at administrative costs under the new regime suggests that the system imposes a total annual burden of £86 million. This represents a savings of £97 million in administrative burdens over the old regimes. The administrative burdens do not include the cost of transition, nor licence fees nor compliance with licence conditions.

Olympic Games 2012: Exercise

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the likely effect the London 2012 Olympic Games will have on levels of participation in physical activity; and over what period.

James Purnell: As set out in my speech to the Schools and Sports Partnerships conference on 28 November 2007, we believe that the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games will inspire a generation to take up sport.
	The Government's aim is to get two million more people to be more active in sport and physical activity by 2012. This equates to a 1 per cent. per annum increase across sport and physical activity; equal to what the countries with the greatest success in increasing participation have achieved.

Ticket Agents

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  whether the recommendations made in the Office of Fair Trading's report on Ticket Agents in the UK, that advertising should indicate where tickets can be purchased at face value, have been implemented;
	(2)  what his policy is on whether the Committee of Advertising Practice should amend its guidance so all non-broadcast event advertising is required to include the face value of the ticket, while indicating that additional fees may apply and could vary depending upon the sales channel and ticket seller used, in accordance with recommendations made in the Office of Fair Trading's report on Ticket Agents in the UK.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 10 December 2007
	Following the 2005 recommendations published by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) amended its guidance but did not require ticket face value and fees to be advertised. OFT complaint data from earlier this year suggest that this is not a particular problem for consumers. More recently, as a result of the implementation of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, the OFT has been working with the ASA Committee of Advertising Practice on reforms to its code of practice on non-broadcast media. The OFT views it as prudent to see the effect of the reformed code on advertising behaviour in the ticketing market before considering if further action is required.

JUSTICE

Cemeteries

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what representations he has received on making local authorities cover the cost of reinstatement of gravestones after they have been deemed unsafe through topple testing.

Bridget Prentice: None, other than my hon. Friend's correspondence on the matter which has recently been passed to me. However, I understand that some local authorities have decided, at their discretion, to incur the costs of making gravestones safe.

Crime: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of crimes committed in Suffolk resulted in  (a) a caution,  (b) a fixed penalty notice and  (c) a conviction in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: Information on the number of crimes recorded, cautions and penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued and convictions at all courts in Suffolk in each of the last five financial years is provided in the following table. Data are provided on a notifiable offence basis, i.e. offences notified to the Home Office.
	It is not possible to track individual crimes through the criminal justice system to conclusion by way of a caution, PND or conviction. This is because crimes and offences brought to justice are counted and recorded differently. A crime and a resulting conviction may occur in different years, or in some instances one recorded crime may result in more than one person being convicted, or one person being convicted of more than one offence.
	
		
			  Number of recorded crimes, convictions, cautions or penalty notices for disorder issued in Suffolk police force area, 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			  Financial year  Recorded crimes  Penalty notices for disorder( 1)  Cautions( 2)  Convictions 
			 2002-03 50,315 — 3,398 7,953 
			 2003-04 53,443 — 3,997 9,149 
			 2004-05 52,101 218 3,796 9,818 
			 2005-06 52,831 520 4,326 10,084 
			 2006-07 (provisional(4)) 51,096 1,215 4,661 10,359 
			 (1 )Piloted in 2002 and introduced nationally in 2004. Notifiable PNDs relate to offences under Public Order Act 1986 Section 5; Theft and Criminal Damage. (2) Includes reprimands and final warnings for juveniles. (3 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4 )PND, cautions and convictions data for 2006-07 are provisional.

Departmental Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what Departmental budget items have been reclassified under the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review 2007; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1139W.

Judges

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what obligation is placed on sentencing judges to consider the possibility of assessment for ADHD and related conditions and a subsequent rehabilitation package as part of the sentencing process.

Maria Eagle: There is no statutory obligation for the court to consider an "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" (ADHD) assessment upon sentencing. Nor is there a statutory obligation for a subsequent rehabilitation package as part of the sentencing process.
	However, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 requires a court to consider a pre-sentence report (PSR) prior to sentencing. The purpose of the pre-sentence report is to assist the court in determining the most suitable method of dealing with an offender. There is a general obligation on the part of the court to determine the most appropriate sentence for the offence and the offender. The purpose of sentencing includes rehabilitation which the court may provide through supervision and treatment as needed.
	In the case of young offenders, youth offender teams work closely with their child and adolescent mental health services colleagues to ensure that issues such as ADHD and related conditions are identified during the court process.

Leeds Magistrates Court

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff were employed at Leeds Magistrates court in each year since 1997; and how many staff are employed at the court.

Maria Eagle: Data on staff numbers at Leeds Magistrates court is not available for 1997. Since 1998 the following numbers of staff have been employed at Leeds Magistrates court:
	
		
			   Number 
			 March 1998 167 
			 July 1999 176 
			 April 2000 178 
			 April 2001 164 
			 April 2002 176 
			 April 2003 (1)137 (179) 
			 April 2004 135 (177) 
			 April 2005 133 (175) 
			 April 2006 134 (176) 
			 April 2007 129 (171) 
			 (1 )The figure for April 2003 reflects the fact that in April 2002, 28 finance team members and 14 court enforcement officers transferred from the Magistrates court to the area collection and enforcement centre.  Note: The figures in brackets give the estimated comparable staff numbers if the 42 had remained with the Magistrates court.

Police Custody: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) police cells and  (b) custody suites in each London borough were occupied by serving prisoners who had been given a custodial sentence at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Prisoners held in police cells under Operation Safeguard are primarily adult male prisoners remanded in custody by the courts. Figures for the number of occasions convicted or remanded prisoners are held in police cells under Operation Safeguard are not held separately.
	The operational protocol is that prisoners are held for one night. If prisoners are held in a police cell under Operation Safeguard on a Friday night they will remain in police custody until Monday morning or Tuesday if it is a bank holiday.
	The Metropolitan police allocate places for Operation Safeguard across London boroughs each day from a central command suite. The number and location of places available is varied daily according to operational pressures.

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females were (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted of an offence under Section 61 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, in each year since the Section came into force, broken down by police force area;
	(2)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females have been (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted of an offence under provisions in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 in each year since it came into force, broken down by relevant section.

Jack Straw: Data showing the number of males and females proceeded against and found guilty in England and Wales, by police force area, under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 from 2000 to 2006 is in the table. My Department is unable to separate data for Section 61, as the data are not collected to that level of detail.
	
		
			  Number of males and females proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts, for offences under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Ac 2000, in England and Wales, 2000 to 2006( 1,2,3) 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			  Offence  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			  Triable either way offences ( 4,6)   
			  Greater Manchester   
			 Male 1 1 — — — — 
			 Total 1 1 — — — — 
			  Metropolitan police   
			 Male — — — — — 2 
			 Total — — — — — 2 
			  Sussex   
			 Male 1 1 — — — — 
			 Total 1 1 — — — — 
			  England and Wales (Triable either way offences) 2 2 — — — 2 
			
			  Summary  o ffences( 5,6)   
			  Greater Manchester   
			 Male 1 1 — — — — 
			 Total 1 1 — — — — 
			  Hertfordshire   
			 Male 1 — — — — — 
			 Total 1 — — — — — 
			  Leicestershire   
			 Male 1 — 1 1 — — 
			 Total 1 — 1 1 — — 
			  Metropolitan police   
			 Male 4 4 6 6 7 4 
			 Female 1 — 1 — — — 
			 Total 5 4 7 6 7 4 
			  Staffordshire   
			 Male — — 1 1 — — 
			 Female — — — — 1 — 
			 Total — — 1 1 1 — 
			  West Midlands   
			 Male — — 2 2 — — 
			 Total — — 2 2 — — 
			  England and Wales (Summary Offences) 8 5 11 10 8 4 
			
			 England and Wales—all offences 10 7 11 10 8 6 
			 (1) There were no prosecutions or convictions under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 between 2000 and 2003. Police force areas with no prosecutions or convictions are not shown in the table. Similarly, where no females have been prosecuted or convicted in certain areas, no female row is shown. (2 )These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) The following sections of the Act are triable either way offences: 43(7) Failing to deliver report of auditor removal/resignation 44(4) Making false statement to auditor 54(5) Fail to provide information about donation/donor to party 54(6) Agent failing to provide information to party about donor 56(3) and Sch.20 Registered party fail to return impermissible donation 56(3) and Sch.20 Treasurer fail to return impermissible donation 56(3) and Sch.20 Treasurer fail to return donation by unidentifiable donor 61(1) and Sch.20 Enter arrangement facilitating impermissible donation 61(1) and Sch.20 Act in furtherance of an arrangement facilitating impermissible donation 61(2)(a) and Sch.20 Give treasurer false information about donation 61(2)(b) and Sch.20 Withhold from treasurer false information about donation 65(4) and Sch.20 Fail to comply with donation reports requirements 66(5) and Sch.20 False declaration in donation report 68(5)(a) and Sch.20 Individual donor fail to report multiple small donations 68(5)(a) and Sch.20 Non-individual donor fail to report multiple small donations 68(5)(b) and Sch.20 Deliver out of time/complete report declaring multiple donations 68(5)(c) and Sch.20 Failure to declare multiple small donations 73(85) and Sch.20 Make false declaration of campaign expenditure (5) The following sections of the Act are summary offences. 24(8) Political party treasurer convicted of offences 39 Making false statement to electoral commission 47(1)(a) Fail to deliver proper statement of accounts 47(1)(b) Fail to deliver statement of accounts before end of relevant period 65(3) and Sch.20 Treasurer fail to deliver donation report within 30 days 65(3) and Sch.20 Treasurer fail to deliver donation report within 7 days (6) It is not possible to provide separate data for a particular section of the Act—for example section 61

Prisoners: Learning Disability

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is co-ordinating with other Departments to address the needs of offenders with learning difficulties and disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP), part of the Department of Health, produced the document 'Positive Practice, Positive Outcomes; A handbook for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System working with offenders with learning disabilities' (CSIP, 2007). This set out the support that must be provided by the police, the courts, in prisons and on probation and was developed in collaboration with relevant Government agencies.
	The Ministry of Justice is working alongside the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, to ensure that the needs of young offenders are taken into account in the review of speech, language and communication needs which is being led by the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow).
	The Learning and Skills Council, an NDPB associated with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, co-commissions alongside NOMS education and skills provision in prisons and probation. This provision is delivered through contracts with education providers, which deliver such provision against requirements laid out in a key document—the Offender's Learning Journey—which includes particular requirements on meeting the needs of those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Prisoners: Speech Therapy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many qualified speech and language therapists provided a service to the Prison Service in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much the Government have invested in the provision of speech and language therapy to prisoners in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: The information requested is not held centrally. Speech and language therapy is commissioned by national health service primary care trusts (PCTs) in line with other health services for their communities, including those in prison or on probation, on the basis of comprehensive assessment of local need. Prisoners and young offenders all receive health screening on reception into prison as well as a general learning needs assessment.
	The PCT commissioning model is bringing about results. For example, at Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution Hindley, following the local needs assessment process, Bolton, Salford and Trafford Mental Health Trust are now providing two speech and language therapy sessions every week.
	Five Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust has a specialist team which provides speech and language therapy, and art and music therapies, alongside more traditional interventions for mental health and psychological needs. This service is provided for two secure children's homes, two charitable institutions, and two independent providers.
	For young offenders, the Department of Health will be extending the range of child and adolescent mental health services in the secure estate for children and young people. These additional services include speech and language therapy. To this end, £1.5 million new funding for new services has been invested by the Department of Health in 2007-08.

Prisons: Staff

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what speech and learning disability awareness training is available to staff in prisons.

Maria Eagle: No specific training is delivered centrally to prison officers in identifying people with such difficulties but under Prison Service Order 2855, governors must ensure that procedures exist for prisoners to be able to disclose disability, including learning disabilities, both on reception and subsequently. Each prison must have a disability liaison officer to ensure that the needs of disabled prisoners are met.

Prisons: Staff

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers have five or more passes at GCSE or equivalent at grades A to C.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of educational qualifications obtained by prison officers is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by asking local prisons to collate the information from individual staff files.

Private Security Industry Act 2001

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions have been brought and  (b) convictions obtained for offences under section 22 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The licensing of individuals under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA) has been rolled out since 2004.
	Section 22 creates offences connected with the making of false statements to the Security Industry Authority.
	For each of the three years 2004, 2005 and 2006, there have been no prosecutions or convictions under section 22 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	There are a number of provisions under the PSIA and immigration legislation, under which proceedings can be taken in respect of offences by persons applying for SIA licences, or holding licences. Which provision would be appropriate in a particular case would depend on the circumstances of the case.

Secure Custody: Children

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children in secure custody were awarded five passes at A* to C at GCSE in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the number of GCSEs gained by all young people in custody is not collected centrally. The LSC report that young people under-18 in young offender institutions achieved 354 GCSEs A*-C in all subjects between 1 April 2007 and 30 September 2007. However this figure does not reflect all of the GCSEs achieved in juvenile custody because this does not include young people in secure children's homes, secure training centres, or private prisons. Also some of the young people in young offender institutions are still registered at schools and colleges and therefore any GCSEs that they achieve whilst in custody will be reflected in achievement figures of schools and colleges, rather than the figures reported by the LSC for those achieved in custody.

Secure Custody: Children

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children in secure custody were awarded five passes at GCSE in each of the last five years, broken down by subject and grade achieved.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the number of GCSEs gained by all young people in custody is not collected centrally. The LSC report that young people under-18 in young offender institutions achieved the following GCSEs from 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007:
	Mathematics: 18 GCSE's at grades A* to C, and 91 below grade C;
	English: 29 GCSEs at grades A* to C and 56 below grade C;
	Other subjects: 307 GCSEs at grades A* to C and 162 below grade C.
	Further breakdown is not available. Also this figure does not reflect all of the GCSEs achieved in juvenile custody because this does not include young people in Secure children's homes, secure training centres, or private prisons. Also some of the young people in young offender institutions are still registered at schools and colleges and therefore any GCSEs that they achieve whilst in custody will be reflected in achievement figures of schools and colleges, rather than the figures reported by the LSC for those achieved in custody.

Young Offenders: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people under 18-years-old were convicted for  (a) vehicle crime,  (b) domestic burglary and  (c) robbery in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: Data showing the number of people under 18-years-old convicted of vehicle crime, domestic burglary and robbery in Lancashire from 1997 to 2006 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of persons aged under 18 found guilty at all courts for selected offences in the Lancashire police force area, 1997  to  2006( 1, 2) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Burglary and aggravated burglary 183 164 142 169 142 233 143 125 177 164 
			 Robbery 72 42 50 52 54 75 62 53 52 79 
			 Vehicle theft(3) 108 84 78 71 56 56 43 36 34 57 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes offences of theft of a vehicle and theft from a vehicle.  Source: Court proceedings database—Office for Criminal Justice Reform

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benton Park View

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what costs were met by his Department for site services and maintenance at Benton Park View in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Anne McGuire: Benton Park View site forms part of the Newcastle estate, a private finance initiative between Newcastle Estates Partnership (the landlord) and HMRC (the major government occupier). DWP occupies approximately 25 per cent. of the site under an agreement with HMRC and is charged on a pro rata basis for accommodation costs and services provided.
	The cost to DWP for site services and maintenance (as detailed(1)) since April 2006 are as follows:
	(1) Site services and maintenance include: rent, building maintenance, rates, cleaning, security, facilities management services and utilities.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2006-07 7,381,063.93 
			 2007-08 (1)7,155,401.50 
			 (1) Forecast cost

Children and Young People: Low Incomes

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many children in families of recipients of  (a) income support,  (b) income-based jobseeker's allowance and  (c) the guaranteed credit part of pension credit are (i) eligible for and (ii) claiming free school meals in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people aged 16 to 18 years who receive income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance in their own right were  (a) eligible for and  (b) claiming free school meals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 I have been asked to reply.
	The requested information is not available.

Departmental Buildings

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what formula will be used to determine his Department's share of the sale receipts when the Government offices site at Heyhouses Road, St. Annes is disposed of.

Anne McGuire: Financial gain may be generated by the expanded PRIME Contractor, Land Securities Trillium, from the sale of buildings which DWP return to them as surplus under the flexibility to vacate options in the contract. The sale prices over each financial year are pooled and compared to the Base Values listed in the contract as at 1 April 1998 (or at December 2003 for buildings covered by PRIME Expansion). Base Value is the price placed on a property, assuming vacant possession, at the start of the contract.
	Properties can also attract a financial loss however, whereby the sale of the property and the associated costs of this are less than the Base Value. Any such losses are therefore offset against positive gains and any resulting net gain is shared 50:50 between the Department and LST.
	Negative gains are offset against positive gains and any resulting net gain is shared 50:50 between the Department and Land Securities Trillium.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by his Department and its predecessors  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by his Department.

Anne McGuire: Information on the number of staff aged between 16 and 18 in the Department since its formation in 2001 is in the following table. Information is not held in this detail prior to September 2001.
	Staff employed through an employment agency are not directly employed by the Department therefore no personal information is held in respect of these staff.
	
		
			   Number of staff 
			 30 September 2001 603 
			 31 March 2002 908 
			 31 March 2003 709 
			 31 March 2004 412 
			 31 March 2005 249 
			 31 March 2006 169 
			 31 March 2007 129 
			  Note: Numbers exclude temporary staff 
		
	
	The information regarding time off and funding to undertake "some form of training" for 16-18 year olds in the Department is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, it should be noted that all staff undertake mandatory training to perform their role within DWP.

Departmental Travel

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Anne McGuire: Between November 2006 and October 2007 the Department for Work Pensions spent £11,650,293.00 on 1(st) class rail travel (including Eurostar journeys).

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last five years.  [Official Report, 5 February 2008; Vol. 471, c. 5MC.]

Anne McGuire: The available information is contained in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of staff disciplined for unsatisfactory attendance  Number of staff dismissed for unsatisfactory attendance 
			 2007-08 4,018 10 
			 2006-07 6,393 36 
			 2005-06 5,320 30 
			 2004-05 1,563 8 
			 2003-04 580 4

Disability Discrimination Act 2005

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which executive agencies have responsibility for implementing the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

Anne McGuire: The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 significantly amended and extended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, including by placing particular additional duties on public authorities.
	It introduced a duty for public authorities not to discriminate against disabled people in the carrying out of their public functions. It also introduced a duty for public authorities to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people (the "Disability Equality Duty"). In addition, The Disability Discrimination (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Regulations 2005 (Statutory Instrument 2005/2966) as amended place specific duties on the public authorities listed in those regulations. The listed authorities include a Minister of the Crown or Government Department.
	All Government Departments are responsible for ensuring that they and any executive agencies for which they are responsible meet the requirements of this legislation.

Disabled: Access

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which central offices occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people.

Anne McGuire: Accessibility audits were commissioned in 2004 for all of the 1,191 buildings where my Department is major occupier. The resultant national programme of works to improve access for disabled people was completed in 2006. Central office buildings are included in the total of 1,191.
	Although central data are held of the number of occupied buildings which are or are not considered to be fully accessible to disabled people, where there are access difficulties for disabled people, my Department makes appropriate reasonable adjustment to its arrangements for the recruitment and employment of staff as well as the services and requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Housing Benefit: Lone Parents

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the effect on numbers of housing benefit claims of transferring lone parents from income support to jobseeker's allowance.

James Plaskitt: No assessment has been made of the effect on numbers of housing benefit claims of transferring lone parents from income support to jobseeker's allowance.
	Customers in receipt of either income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance are already passported on to full housing benefit.

Incapacity Benefits and Jobseeker's Allowance

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people between the ages of  (a) 18 to 25,  (b) 25 to 45 and  (c) 45 to 65 were in receipt of incapacity benefits in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people between the ages of  (a) 18 to 25,  (b) 25 to 45 and  (c) 45 to 65 were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of recipients by age ,  May 2007 
			  T housand 
			   Incapacity benefits  Jobseeker's  a llowance 
			 18-24 159.14 234.84 
			 25-34 338.72 199.29 
			 35-44 582.09 175.36 
			 45-54 740.17 143.76 
			 55-64 828.37 72.36 
			 65 and over 30.16 — 
			 '—' = Nil or negligible.  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Although in general incapacity benefit applies to people of working age, a small number of claimants are over state pension age.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Opinion Leader Research

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts were awarded by his Department to Opinion Leader Research in each year since 1997; and what was  (a) the title and purpose,  (b) the cost to the public purse and  (c) the dates of (i) tender, (ii) award, (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department in each case.

Anne McGuire: On 9 January 2006, a contract was awarded by the Department for Work and Pensions to Opinion Leader Research to carry out a UK-wide public consultation on the Pension Commission's proposals to reform the UK's pension system. This involved the management and facilitation of a number of regional events, linked by satellite technology and involved 1,275 people; interactive on-line surveys; a detailed stakeholder toolkit for locally held debates; citizens advisory panels; and, resulting analysis for the National Pensions Day debate on 18 March 2006.
	The contract was put to tender on 12 December 2005 to six companies on the DWP CIPHeR (consultants, interims, personnel and human resources) framework. Three valid responses were received. The cost of the contract totalled £999,180 (including VAT) and was awarded based on expertise and value for money. The contract started on 16 January 2006 and was completed on 31 May 2006.
	The National Pensions Day debate generated significant coverage in the media and raised public awareness of pensions issues preparing the ground for the forthcoming publication of the May 2006 White Paper 'Security in Retirement towards a New Pensions System'.
	On 25 January 2007 a second minor contract was awarded to Opinion Leader Research for the Pensions Communications Strategy—SCS (senior civil servant) Workshops for the provision of a facilitator. This contract went to tender on 10 January 2007 and ran from 29 January to 28 February 2007. The value of this contract was £3,055.00 (including VAT).
	Following a robust evaluation of proposals received against each exercise, VfM decisions were made in accordance with pre-paid evaluation criteria that followed Government best practice procurement processes.

Pensioners: Inflation

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment the Government has made of the projected impact of inflation on pensioners in each of the next three years.

Mike O'Brien: Basic state pension, additional pension and graduated retirement benefit in payment are all generally uprated in April of each year by the retail price index in September of the previous year. Published departmental expenditure estimates assume this will continue in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Pensioners: Inflation

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what methodology the Government use to calculate the impact of changes in the retail prices index on pensioners.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 12 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question which asked what methodology the Government uses to calculate the impact of the Retail Price Index on pensioners. I am replying in her absence. (170265)
	Pensioners' retail price indices are calculated separately for one and two person households where the head of the household is retired (at least 65 years of age for men and 60 years or more for women) and economically inactive, and where at least three quarters of the household's income is from state benefits. The expenditure of these households is excluded from the main retail prices index (RPI). Other pensioner households are covered by the main RPI although separate indices are not calculated for them.
	The price indicators used in the calculation of the pensioner indices are essentially the same as those used in the main RPI. Prices are collected for over 650 price indicators in around 150 locations across the UK. The detailed price indices for these indicators are combined together to form the overall pensioner indices using weights specific to the expenditure patterns of the two types of pensioner household.
	Some categories of expenditure are excluded from the pensioner indices. These include canteen meals and housing costs, the latter because the price indicators used in the main RPI are not appropriate as pensioners are mostly cushioned against rises in housing costs by rebates. It would be technically difficult to compile separate house price indicator items for these households. Examples of other items that are excluded include NHS prescription, dental and eyesight test charges, none of which are paid by pensioners.
	The pensioner indices are published quarterly.

Pensioners: Inflation

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate the Government has made of the impact of changing  (a) food,  (b) utility and  (c) transport prices on pensioners over each of the next three years.

Mike O'Brien: Pensioner benefits are annually uprated, in the main, by the retail price index or in the case of the guarantee credit by the average earnings index. The RPI is based on a basket of goods and services of which food, utility bills and transport are significant component parts.
	The Office for National Statistics annually revise the goods and services within the basket to ensure that the weighing of food, utility bills and transport in the RPI accurately reflects their share of average expenditure.

Pensioners: Inflation

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of how the impact of inflation on pensioners' standard of life has compared with the impact on the average UK citizen's standard of life in each of the last three years; and what projections he has made for figures equivalent for each of the next three years.

Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows the annual rate of change of the retail prices index (RPI) pensioner price indices for one- and two-pensioner households as well as the all items RPI for the last three years. The figure for the third quarter of 2007 is also provided.
	
		
			  Percentage change on year earlier 
			   RPI 
			   All items index  One-pensioner households index  Two-pensioner households index 
			 2004 3.0 1.8 1.6 
			 2005 2.8 2.6 2.1 
			 2006 3.2 4.5 3.6 
			 2007 Q3 3.9 2.0 1.9 
		
	
	The Government's projections for inflation are published in table B3: Economic assumptions for the public finance projections in the 2007 pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review. The Government do not forecast the rate of change of the RPI pensioner price indices.

Personal Accounts

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of the target audience for personal accounts which will be  (a) subject to means-testing,  (b) able to expect real returns of less than £2 for each £1 invested and  (c) able to expect real returns of less than £1 for each £1 invested; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The figures requested are not available.
	Our previous analysis of a whole range of illustrative individuals shows that the large majority of individuals in the target group, including many of those with entitlement to income-related benefits, can expect to benefit from saving, thanks to low charges, the employer contribution and tax relief. Our previous publication, financial incentives to save for retirement, presented detailed analysis on this issue.

Social Security Benefits: Overseas Residence

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of overseas recipients of SERPS or S2P who have had their benefits frozen; and what estimate he has made of the cost of unfreezing those benefits.

Mike O'Brien: We estimate that there are around 110,000 overseas recipients of the UK additional state pension (SERPS and/or S2P) who live in countries where the pension is not uprated.
	The estimated cost to uprate additional state pension is around £18 million in 2007-08 and it would cost around £170 million in 2007-08 if this was backdated and arrears paid.
	 Notes:
	1. Estimates based on the latest available September 2006 RPWB dataset (5 per cent. administrative data sample)
	2. There are very few overseas UK state pension recipients who are entitled to S2P only, without an entitlement to SERPS. In order to obtain more reliable estimates, recipients of S2P and/or SERPS have been aggregated.

State Retirement Pensions

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many pensioners over the age of 85 receive their state pensions weekly by cheque or benefit book;
	(2)  how many pensioners receive their state pensions weekly by cheque or benefit book.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. Direct Payment is now the normal method of payment, and around 99 per cent. of pensioners are paid this way. A further 80,000 pensioners receive their state pension by cheque, 15,000 of whom are over the age of 85.
	State Pension payments are paid at different intervals although the majority are paid either weekly or four weekly.
	Benefit books were phased out during 2003-05 under the Payment Modernisation Programme.

State Retirement Pensions: Industrial Disputes

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of state pensioners who would be affected by proposed strikes within the Pensions Service.

Mike O'Brien: The Pension Service has robust and proven contingency plans to ensure that payments to customers will be maintained throughout any period of strike action by staff.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which countries have  (a) signed and  (b) ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; when the UK Government intends to ratify the convention; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: By 10 December, 118 countries had signed, and eleven had ratified, the convention since it was opened for signature on 30 March 2007. A list of signatories can be found on the UN website at
	http://www.un.org/disabilities/countries.asp?navid=17&pid=166
	I have set my officials the aim of achieving ratification for the United Kingdom before the end of 2008.

Winter Fuel Payments: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Leicester South received the winter fuel payment in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Leicester South 
			   Payments made 
			 2002-03 14,860 
			 2003-04 14,750 
			 2004-05 14,310 
			 2005-06 14,170 
			 2006-07 14,130 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 3. There has been a decline in the number of people over 60 in Leicester South since 2003.  Source: Information directorate 100 per cent data.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Catering

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average daily food cost was for non-commissioned ranks on non-operational duty in 2006-07.

Bob Ainsworth: The average daily cost, known as the daily messing rate (DMR), is based on a "basket" of nearly 100 basic catering items, and is calculated on a quarterly basis by applying prices obtained from the MOD's food supply contractor to the appropriate ration scale. The DMRs for the current period 1 October 2007-31 December 2007 are shown as follows:
	(a) Army personnel—The DMR in their home posting is £1.63.
	(b) Royal Navy personnel—The DMR in port is £1.78 (unless on duty watch, when 'at sea rates' apply).
	(c) RAF personnel—The DMR at home bases is £1.63.
	No differentiation is made between non-commissioned personnel and others.
	These apparently low amounts are achieved by the scale of purchase of the 'basket items' and the associated economy of scale. Furthermore, DMR is the cost of the raw materials only and does not include transport or other costs.

Armed Forces: Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effects of an influenza pandemic on the operational capacity of the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD has developed a MOD Pandemic Flu Contingency Plan to capture all the activities which will need to be undertaken across Defence in the event of an influenza pandemic. Regular meetings of the MOD Pandemic Flu Contingency Planning Sub-Group ensure that the potential impact of any pandemic on operations is kept under constant review.
	The precise characteristics and impact of an influenza pandemic will only become apparent as the virus emerges. The armed forces are as vulnerable as the rest of society, so the MOD's level of preparedness is constantly evolving in line with operational requirements and cross-government (National) influenza contingency preparations.

Armed Forces: Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations his Department has received in the last 12 months from  (a) members of the armed forces and  (b) others on its preparations for a potential influenza pandemic; what the content of those representations was; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: None.

Armed Forces: Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the contingency plans for a potential influenza pandemic of  (a) the Royal Navy,  (b) the Army and  (c) the Royal Air Force; on what dates each was (i) first published and (ii) last updated; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Yes, I have placed a copy of the latest version of the MOD Pandemic Flu Contingency Plan in the Library of the House. MOD Influenza pandemic planning is defence wide and began in October 2005.

Armed Forces: Mortgages

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will meet the Council of Mortgage Lenders to discuss the number of rejected mortgage applications from UK forces personnel posted overseas on the grounds of inability to provide a UK address.

Bob Ainsworth: As I stated in my answer on 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 450W, if the hon. Member would wish to write to me with any details regarding the number of rejected mortgage applications, I would be content to consider meeting the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

Army: Training

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what improvements have been made since 2002 in the provision of an effective supervisory regime in the Army training establishment; and what was the ratio between numbers of Officers, non-Commissioned Officers and recruits at  (a) Deepcut,  (b) Catterick barracks and  (c) the 10 other largest Army training establishments in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: Since 2002 the key improvements that have been made have been designed to reduce the risk to the welfare and wellbeing of recruits and trainees. These include:
	a revised Supervisory Care Policy that mandates that all commanding officers have a Supervisory Care Directive underpinned by a Commander's Risk Assessment;
	the opening in June 2007 of the Army Recruiting and Training Division Staff Leadership School which is dedicated to instructor training;
	improved training for instructors which, since October 2007, is accredited to meet the National Standard required of those delivering work based training in the Learning and Skills Sector;
	improved care and management of those deemed to be 'at risk'; and,
	a revised 'Under 18' policy, which provides comprehensive guidance to commanding officers as to how the care of personnel under 18 is to be managed.
	The statistical information requested is not held centrally, but is being collated. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Bosnia: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 577W, on Bosnia: peacekeeping operations, if he will define the meaning of the phrase prejudice international relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union as it applies in the Answer.

Bob Ainsworth: The release of the documents requested in the hon. Member's previous question of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 578W, would involve the disclosure of confidential information obtained from the European Union. This would prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union as the effective conduct of the United Kingdom's international relations, and its ability to protect and promote its interests abroad, would be compromised if international organisations became concerned that the confidence within which they consider their exchanges with the United Kingdom to take place might not be respected.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) men and  (b) women are employed by his Department, broken down by civil service grade.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is shown in the table as follows:
	
		
			  Civilian personnel( 1)  by gender as at 1 October 2007 
			  Headcount: 
			   Male  Female  Total 
			 SCS and Broader Banded Equivalents(2) 260 40 310 
			 Band B 2,030 530 2,560 
			 Band C 12,290 4,800 17,080 
			 Band D 7,410 4,370 11,780 
			 Band E 11,440 14,210 25,650 
			 Other non Industrial 270 740 1,020 
			 Industrials 10,460 2,620 13,080 
			 Trading Fund Personnel 8,100 2,170 10,270 
			 
			 Sub total 52,260 29,490 81,750 
			 
			 Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)(3) n/a n/a 2,340 
			 Locally engaged civilians(3) n/a n/a 13,640 
			 n/a = not available (1.)Data include permanent and casual personnel employed by the Department, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Trading Funds and Locally engaged civilians. (2.)The Senior Civil Service was formed in 1996. The totals include about 50 personnel outside the Senior Civil Service but of equivalent grade. (3.)Gender data are not available for Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel and Locally engaged civilian personnel. (4.)All numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not equal the sum of their rounded parts  Source:  DASA (Quad Service)

Departmental Reviews

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) reviews,  (b) consultations and  (c) taskforces his Department (i) is responsible for and (ii) plans to establish; on what date each which is under way (A) started and (B) is expected to be completed; and what the purpose is of each.

Derek Twigg: The Department keeps all its business processes and structures under regular review. As a result, a wide range of internal reviews and consultations is currently in hand, and there are established project and study teams to conduct these as appropriate. Information on these is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 479W, on departmental written questions, if he will change his policy on this matter in the light of the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 133W, on written questions.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 5 December 2007
	The MOD has never provided this information and has no plans to change its policy. I have nothing further to add to my previous answer for the reasons I set out in my answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 479W.

HMS Diamond

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason no Minister was present for the launching of HMS Diamond on 27 November 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 5 December 2007
	 Due to existing diary commitments and urgent parliamentary business that required ministerial representation in the House of Lords, no Minister from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) was available to attend the successful launch of the third Type 45 Destroyer, Diamond, on 27 November 2007. There was, however, senior representation at the event as the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathan Band, was in attendance as the official representative of MOD Ministers.

Lebanon: Armed Forces

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to provide military advisers to the Lebanese armed forces to improve their defence capabilities.

Bob Ainsworth: We have worked with the Lebanese armed forces (LAF) to identify training needs and, where appropriate and possible, offer training assistance to improve their defence capabilities.
	The MOD provides advice and training through military short term training teams (STTT) which consist of small numbers of subject matter experts deployed to fulfil niche training areas of LAF need.
	In addition to the STTTs the UK also offers and pays for a variety of capacity building courses in the UK for LAF officers and senior non-commissioned officers. These courses focus on officer staff and command training.

RAF Fylingdales

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) UK and  (b) US personnel were employed at RAF Fylingdales in each year since 2002, broken down by employer.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 11 March 2003,  Official Report, column 181W, and 14 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1235W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker).
	As of 3 December 2007 the figures for RAF Fylingdales were: one US military personnel; 13 US contractors; 79 RAF personnel; 162 UK contractors; 105 Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency personnel and 37 UK civilian personnel work at the base.
	The number of personnel who worked at RAF Fylingdales in 2002, 2004 and 2005 is not available in the format requested.

RAF Menwith Hill

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) UK and  (b) US personnel were employed at RAF Menwith Hill in each year since 2002, broken down by employer.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 30 June 2005,  Official Report, column 1693W, and 14 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1235W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) and on 27 November 2007,  Official Report, column 313W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett).
	The number of personnel employed at RAF Menwith Hill in 2002, 2003 and 2004 is not available in the format requested.

United Nations: Peace Keeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which countries UK personnel are deployed under UN peacekeeping mandates; and how many personnel are deployed in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: The following table details the countries where UK personnel are deployed on peacekeeping operations and political and peace-building missions conducted by the UN, and how many UK personnel are involved:
	
		
			  Mission  Number 
			 United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICTP) 275 
			 United Nations observer mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) 5 
			 United Nations mission in Liberia (UNMIL) 3 
			 United Nations organization mission in DR of Congo (MONUC) 6 
			 United Nations mission in Sudan (UNMIS) 6 
			 United Nation mission in Nepal (UNMIS) (1)5 
			 United Nations integrated office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) (1)1 
			 Total 301 
			 (1)Political and peace-building missions

TREASURY

Alternatively Secured Pensions

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the changes to alternatively secured pensions will be updated in the registered schemes manual; and what steps are taken to ensure that the information in the registered pensions scheme manual are kept up to date.

Kitty Ussher: The information in the Registered Pension Scheme Manual is regularly reviewed and updated as necessary. The amendments to this manual, arising from the changes made in Finance Act 2007 to the rules governing alternatively secured pensions, were published on 4 December following consultation on draft text.

Bank Services

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the potential liability to the Exchequer from guaranteeing of bank deposits up to  (a) £20,000,  (b) £30,000,  (c) £50,000,  (d) £100,000,  (e) £150,000 and  (f) £200,000.

Kitty Ussher: The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protects eligible bank deposits up to specified limits. It is funded by levies on financial services firms.

Buildings: Cabinet Office

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 November,  Official Report, column 701W, on buildings: Cabinet Office, whether the database records figures separately for the Prime Minister's Offices.

Angela Eagle: The Electronic Property Information Mapping Service (e-PIMS) database does record figures separately for the Prime Minister's Offices.

Buildings: Cabinet Office

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 701W, on buildings: Cabinet Office, what the  (a) total area and  (b) vacant space in the (i) Cabinet Office's and (ii) Prime Minister's Offices was as recorded on the database in 1997 or the nearest available date.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is as follows:
	(i) The total area for the Cabinet Office estate (including the Prime Minister's Offices) recorded on the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service (e-PIMS) database in 2005-06 was 161,673.2 m(2). The amount of vacant space recorded on e-PIMS for the Cabinet Office estate in 2005-06 was 676 m(2).
	(ii) The total area of the Prime Minister's Offices (10-12 Downing street) recorded on e-PIMS in 2005-06 was 4,066.2 m(2). There was no vacant space recorded for these offices.

Capital Gains Tax

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps were taken by his Department to consult the  (a) Federation of Small Businesses,  (b) British Chambers of Commerce,  (c) Confederation of British Industry and  (d) Institute of Directors on changes in taper relief on capital gains tax before publication of the 2007 pre-Budget report.

Jane Kennedy: The Government do not generally consult on changes to tax rates. Following the publication of the pre-Budget report the Treasury has held constructive discussions with representatives from a number of business groups.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1110-18, on HM Revenue and Customs, how the password for the discs was transmitted by HM Revenue and Customs to the National Audit Office on each occasion that data were sent.

Jane Kennedy: The location of the missing data discs is the subject of an ongoing Police investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further. On 20 November, the Chancellor announced an independent review of HMRC's data handling procedures to be conducted by Kieran Poynter, chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
	The full terms of reference for that review are available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_133_07.cfm
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1110-18, on HM Revenue and Customs, how many personal records contained on the two discs missing from HM Revenue and Customs were from each parliamentary constituency.

Jane Kennedy: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients.
	All child benefit customers in all parliamentary constituencies are affected by the data loss. The acting chairman of HM Revenue and Customs has written to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency are published as part of National Statistics and can be found in Tables 2 and 3 of Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geog-aug06.pdf

Civil Service: Cost Effectiveness

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to increase efficiency within the civil service.

Andy Burnham: The comprehensive spending review announced an ambitious framework for achieving value for money savings in the civil service and the wider public sector. This included a 5 per cent. annual fall in administration budgets in real terms and built on the success of the efficiency programme announced in the 2004 spending review.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what records his Department holds of the destinations of each Treasury away day undertaken in 2006-07;
	(2)  whether his Department's accounting system records the  (a) cost,  (b) destination and  (c) activities undertaken of away days of the Performance and Efficiency Team in 2006-07.

Angela Eagle: Information on Treasury teams' away days cannot be disaggregated from accounting system records on training costs and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Elderly: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the population of  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) Tamworth constituency that (i) were aged 65 years and over in each year from 1997 to 2006 and (ii) are aged 65 years and over in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 12 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what estimate has been made of the population for (a) Staffordshire and (b) Tamworth constituency that (i) were aged 65 years and over in each year from 1997 to 2006 and (ii) are aged 65 years and over in 2007. (173079)
	Whilst population estimates for Staffordshire are available for mid-1997 to mid-2006, population estimates for Tamworth constituency are only available for mid-2001 to mid-2005. Population estimates are not yet available for 2007. The population projection for mid-2007, based on the 2004 mid-year estimates, has been provided for Staffordshire. Population projections are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
	Table 1 presents the available population data for Staffordshire, and Tamworth constituency.
	
		
			  Table 1: Population estimates and projections for Staffordshire and estimates for Tamworth constituency 
			  Thousand 
			   Population aged 65 and over 
			  Mid-year  Staffordshire  Tamworth 
			 1997 120 (1)— 
			 1998 122 (1)— 
			 1999 123 (1)— 
			 2000 124 (1)— 
			 2001 127 11 
			 2002 129 12 
			 2003 131 12 
			 2004 134 12 
			 2005 136 13 
			 2006 138 (1)— 
			 2007(2) 142 (1)— 
			 (1) Data for Tamworth constituency are not available (2) Population projections  Source: Office for National Statistics

Employee Share Ownership Schemes

Andrew Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations his Department has held with the administrators and providers of employee share schemes on the recent pre-Budget report; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: Following the publication of the pre-Budget report the Treasury has held constructive discussions with a range of stakeholders on employee share schemes.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the  (a) volume and  (b) revenue raised in duty of (i) beer, (ii) lager, (iii) cider and (iv) wine in each of the last three years.

Angela Eagle: Official estimates of clearances data can be found on the HMRC trade information website:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bulletins
	and are summarised as follows.
	
		
			  Volume of clearances 
			  T housands of hectolitres 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Beer (including lager) 58,845 57,596 55,444 
			 Cider 6,126 6,462 7,863 
			 Wine 12,901 13,085 12,893 
		
	
	Official receipt figures for beer, cider and wine duty can be found in the Budget documentation and are summarised as follows.
	
		
			  Receipts 
			  £ million 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Beer (including lager) 3,100 3,080 3,070 
			 Cider 160 170 200 
			 Wine 2,230 2,310 2,390 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates for wine include only product made from fresh grape. 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10 million.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many illegal immigrants have been discovered working for his Department and its agencies in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: No illegal immigrants have been discovered working in the Treasury or its agencies during the past year.

Marginal Tax Rates

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of households which will experience marginal deduction rates of  (a) 70 per cent. and  (b) over 60 per cent. following the changes announced in Budget 2007.

Jane Kennedy: Estimates of the number of families facing marginal deduction rates above 60 per cent. under the 2008-09 tax and benefits system were published in the 2007 pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review, Table 5.2.

Marginal Tax Rates

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the marginal deduction rate experienced by a married couple, local authority tenants, with one child under 11, no child care costs, working under 30 hours per week, with gross earnings of £200 per week.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is published by the Department for Work and Pensions in "Tax Benefit Model Tables April 2007", Table 1.5a.
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tbmt.asp.

Migrant Workers

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the geographical distribution of Eastern European migrants in the UK.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 12 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning the distribution of Eastern European migrants in the UK. I am replying in her absence. (163170)
	The attached Table 1 shows the estimated number of people born in Eastern Europe by UK country and Government Office Region for the 12 month period ending December 2006.
	The definition of Eastern Europe is the same as that used for the 2001 census. It includes all the EU accession states that are now part of the EU and also other countries.
	These figures are based on the annual population survey, which is a survey of private households. As with any sample survey the estimates are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1: Geographical distribution of UK population born in Eastern Europe( 1)  2006 
			  UK country/English GOR  Thousand  Percentage of total 
			 England 592 92.9 
			
			 North East 9 1.4 
			 North West 35 5.5 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 61 9.7 
			 East Midlands 49 7.7 
			 West Midlands 36 5.6 
			 East of England 52 8.2 
			 London 261 41.0 
			 South East 62 9.7 
			 South West 26 4.1 
			 Wales 11 1.8 
			 Scotland 24 3.8 
			 Northern Ireland 10 1.5 
			 Grand total 637 100.0 
			 (1) Definition 'Eastern Europe' is based on the 2001 Census country of birth definition which contains the following countries: (Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Yugoslavia (nos))   Notes:  1. Estimates for 2006 are based on the Annual Population Survey (APS) which includes the Labour Force Survey (LFS) plus various sample boosts.  2. It should be noted that the above estimates :-  exclude certain people who have been resident in the UK for less than six months  exclude students in halls of residence who do not have a UK resident parent  exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc)  are grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying for 12 months or more  are grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003, which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates.  3. The LFS weighting does not adjust for non-response bias by the country of birth variable.   Source:  Annual Population Survey

National Insurance Contributions

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised from national insurance contributions in 2006-07.

Jane Kennedy: Information on receipts of National Insurance contributions is published in National Statistics Table 1.2 on the HMRC website. A link to the most recent publication is as follows:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax receipts/tablel-2.pdf

National Security: Finance

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will break down the UK's security budget for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10 by Government Department;
	(2)  how much of the UK's security budget for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10 is allocated to each aspect of the Government's national security activities;
	(3)  how much of the £2.25 billion security budget is devoted to supporting critical national infrastructure.

Andy Burnham: As part of CSR 2007, the Government announced a new single security and intelligence budget which brings together dedicated counter-terrorism and intelligence funding for the security and intelligence agencies, the police and all parts of Government responsible for addressing threat from terrorism.
	In 2007-08 single security and intelligence budget planned spending is £2.5 billion resource and capital. The provisional breakdown across departments is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Security and Intelligence Agencies 1,508 
			 Home Office 811 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 93 
			 Northern Ireland Office 68 
			 Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 61 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 47 
			 Ministry of Defence 38 
			 Communities, Local Government 22 
			 Department for Transport 12 
		
	
	Breaking down the new single budget by specific counter-terrorism and intelligence activities would reveal our capabilities and details of security and intelligence agencies spending beyond what is published already. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to reveal these details.
	The single security and intelligence budget will rise to £3.5 billion a year by 2010-11. The Government continue to assess the priorities and will publish such details as they can of spending plans for 2008-09 to 2010-11 in due course.

Office of Government Commerce

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) cost and  (b) results were of the Office of Government Commerce's staff attitude survey on service levels in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Two staff attitude surveys have been undertaken by OGC since 2003-04. The first was during 2003-04 and this cost around £17,500 and the second in 2006 at a cost of £20,000.
	The surveys are internal management tools and it would not be appropriate to disclose information that relates to specific teams.

Revenue and Customs: Interest Charges

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the rate of interest paid to members of the public on funds owed to them by HM Revenue and Customs was on 1 April 2007;
	(2)  what the rate of interest charged to members of the public on sums owed by them to HM Revenue and Customs was on 1 April 2007.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the HM Revenue and Customs' website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/interest for direct taxes and http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/VAT/ratesandcodes.htm for indirect taxes.

Save as You Earn

Andrew Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of individual members of save as you earn schemes that will be affected by the changes introduced by the recent pre-Budget report; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what total revenue has been collected from capital gains tax on maturing save as you earn schemes in each of the last five tax years.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available.

Social Services: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings he and his Ministers had with Department of Health  (a) officials and  (b) Ministers to discuss the settlement for social care in the comprehensive spending review; at which of those meetings the subject of payment for long-term care was discussed; and if he will make available the minutes of those meetings.

Andy Burnham: The Chancellor and his Ministers have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues and others on a wide range of issues.

Suicide

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of deaths in  (a) the North East and  (b) the UK were suicides in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 12 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many and what proportion of the deaths in  (a) the North East and  (b) the UK were suicides in each of the last 10 years. I am replying in her absence. (173570)
	The table attached provides the number and percentage of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death, in  (a) the North East government office region and  (b) the United Kingdom, for 1997 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and percentage of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death( 1,2) , (a) North East government office region, and (b) the United Kingdom( 3,4) ,1997-2006( 5) 
			   North East  UK 
			   Deaths  Percentage  Deaths  Percentage 
			 1997 256 1 5,816 1 
			 1998 290 1 6,354 1 
			 1999 258 1 6,255 1 
			 2000 279 1 6,124 1 
			 2001 249 1 5,932 1 
			 2002 239 1 5,826 1 
			 2003 272 1 5,731 1 
			 2004 295 1 5,850 1 
			 2005 242 1 5,671 1 
			 2006 228 1 5,563 1 
			 (1) Suicide was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E950-E959 and E980-E989, excluding E988.8 for England and Wales (1997 to 2000), and codes E950-E959 and E980-E989 for Scotland (1997 to 1999) and Northern Ireland (1997 to 2000), and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84 and Y10-Y34, excluding Y33.9 (where the Coroner's verdict was pending) for England and Wales (2001 to 2006), and codes X60-X84 and Y10-Y34 for Scotland (2000 to 2006), and Northern Ireland (2001 to 2006). (2) Suicide and undetermined intent deaths have not been included for children under the age of 15 years. (3) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (4) Figures for the UK include data provided by the Registrars General for Scotland and Northern Ireland. (5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Television: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of households in London which had  (a) a television,  (b) satellite or cable television,  (c) a home computer and  (d) access to the internet in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 12 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the number of households in London which had (a) a television, (b) satellite or cable television, (c) a home computer and (d) access to the internet in each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (172944)
	Estimates of the ownership of durable goods appear in the ONS's 'Family Spending' report. The latest report for 2005-06 was published on the National Statistics website on 18th January 2007 at
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=361.
	Family Spending is the ONS's annual report on the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS), an annual survey of approximately 7,000 households in the UK.
	The tables provided show the estimated number of households in London owning each of these durable goods (Table 1). In addition, the percentage of households owning these goods have also been provided (Table 2).
	Both the estimates of the number of households owning these durable goods, and the estimates of the total number of households in London vary to some extent from year to year. This is because estimates produced from the EFS combine information about ownership of durable goods provided by survey respondents, with London population estimates by age and sex, to produce estimates of the total number of people in London owning these goods. These population control totals are a measure of the number of people in London, but there are no control totals for the number of households. As a consequence, there is some year to year volatility in estimates of the numbers of households.
	The figures for ownership of satellite or cable television, home computers and access to the internet are all increasing rapidly, and so while there is some year to year volatility in the estimates, the underlying trend is very apparent. As regards the number of households owning televisions, which one would expect to be changing much more slowly, most of the year to year movement in the figures is likely to be due to the sampling variability described above.
	Figures have also been provided on the percentages of households owning these durable goods. As proportions, these figures are affected less by year to year volatility in the estimated numbers of households.
	
		
			  Table 1: Estimated number of households with selected durable goods in London, 1996-97 to 2005-06( 1,2) 
			  Thousand 
			   Number of households  Satellite receiver( 3)  Home computer  Internet connection  TV set 
			 1996-97 2,803 507 937 — 2,742 
			 1997-98 2,956 777 1,024 — 2,881 
			 1998-99 3,032 886 1,177 472 2,965 
			 1999-2000 3,094 1,073 1,370 772 3,030 
			 2000-01 3,064 1,200 1,542 1,211 2,937 
			 2001-02 2,851 1,303 1,650 1,376 2,779 
			 2002-03 2,840 1,139 1,709 1,416 2,774 
			 2003-04 2,889 1,424 1,900 1,649 2,851 
			 2004-05 2,908 1,581 1,910 1,590 2,860 
			 2005-06 2,826 1,733 2,011 1,744 2,789 
			 (1) London covers the London Government office region. (2) Internet connection data were not collected on the Family Expenditure Survey prior to 1998-99. (3) Includes digital and cable receivers.  Source: Family Expenditure Survey (up to 2000-01), Expenditure and Food Survey thereafter 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Percentage of households with selected durable goods in London, 1996-97 to 2005-06( 1,2) 
			  Percentage 
			   Satellite receiver( 3)  Home computer  Internet connection  TV set 
			 1996-97 18 33 — 98 
			 1997-98 26 35 — 97 
			 1998-99 29 39 16 98 
			 1999-2000 35 44 25 98 
			 2000-01 39 50 40 96 
			 2001-02 46 58 48 97 
			 2002-03 40 60 50 98 
			 2003-04 49 66 57 99 
			 2004-05 54 66 55 98 
			 2005-06 61 71 62 99 
			 (1) London covers the London Government office region. (2) Internet connection data were not collected on the Family Expenditure Survey prior to 1998-99. (3) Includes digital and cable receivers.  Source: Family Expenditure Survey (up to 2000-01), Expenditure and Food Survey thereafter

Trading Funds

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with how many  (a) private sector stakeholders and  (b) public sector stakeholders the Cambridge university team carrying out the review of trading funds has met.

Andy Burnham: The Cambridge university team have undertaken the analysis on the definition and charging models for the public information held by trading funds on an independent basis and have met with the stakeholders they consider necessary to inform their analysis.

VAT: Charitable Donations

Phil Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will exempt from VAT charitable donations that companies make out of the purchase price of their products.

Jane Kennedy: A donation that is freely given and for which nothing is received in return is outside the scope of VAT. Therefore, if payment of an element of the purchase price of goods and services by a customer is optional, and is clearly set out as a donation to charity, no VAT is chargeable on that part of the payment.
	Otherwise, VAT is chargeable on the full price paid for a supply of goods or services, subject to the VAT liability rules set out in the VAT Act. This position reflects the requirements of our European VAT agreements.

Working Tax Credits: EU Nationals

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many EU A8 nationals successfully applied for  (a) working tax credit and  (b) child tax credit in each year since the accession of the A8 nations; and how many of these had previously been in receipt of each such benefit.

Jane Kennedy: The Accession monitoring report, last published on 20 November 2007 on the Home Office Borders and Immigration Agency website
	http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_report
	provides detailed information including the total number of workers from the new member states of the EU which acceded on 1 May 2004 and who have made claims for tax credits.
	The other information requested is not available.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: My Department and its agencies have spent the following:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Cards  Decorations  Parties 
			 2002 602 0 16,000 
			 2003 618 0 16,000 
			 2004 2,333 1,170 16,000 
			 2005 2,165 920 18,000 
			 2006 1,943 1,591 11,000

Departmental Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been paid by his Department and its predecessor in consultancy fees since  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2005-06.

Gareth Thomas: Central records indicate that the cost to the Department of engaging consultants in each of the following financial years has been:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 1999-2000 21 
			 2000-01 36 
			 2001-02 64 
			 2002-03 93 
			 2003-04 112 
			 2004-05 86 
			 2000-06 53.6 
			 2006-07 40.3 
			 2007-08 8.7 
		
	
	Information for years prior to 1999-2000 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what reviews have been undertaken of his Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of his Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies will undertake a review of their compliance with data protection laws;

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many breaches of data protection security there have been in his Department or his Department's Agencies in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Members to the statement made by right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what proportion of posts in his Department were recategorised from back office to frontline posts as classified by the Gershon efficiency review in each year since 2004.

Gareth Thomas: Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is committed to achieving its workforce reduction target of 1,010 posts by the end of 2007-08. This is a net target and no posts will be reallocated to the frontline as part of it.

Departmental Manpower

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) men and  (b) women of each Civil Service grade are employed by his Department.

Patrick McFadden: For the information required, please refer to the 2006 Civil Service Statistics published by Office for National Statistics (ONS). Table H of the publication presents permanent employees by Department, responsibility level, ethnic origin and gender.
	As BERR only came into existence this year, the right hon. Member should refer to the then Department of Trade and Industry entry, which now forms the majority of the new Department. The following extract is as follows:
	
		
			  BERR (Department of Trade and Industry Statistics, which now forms the majority of the new Department ) 
			   White  Ethnic minority  Non-response   Ethnic minority as percentage of known ethnic origin 
			  Responsibility level  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female  All employees  Male  Female 
			 SCS level 150 60 10 — 80 30 320 4.4 — 
			 Grades 6/7 750 350 50 40 290 170 1,650 6.0 9.8 
			 All other levels 2,560 2,880 460 650 930 880 8,340 15.1 18.3 
			 Unknown 0 0 0 0 — 0 — 0.0 0.0 
			 All employees 3,460 3,290 510 690 1,290 1,080 10,310 12.8 17.2 
			  Source: The 2006 Civil Service Statistics published by ONS.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will take steps to ensure that English wine is served  (a) exclusively and  (b) at the request of guests at meals, parties and receptions hosted by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: BERR works with its caterer to provide catering and hospitality services in line with the public sector food procurement initiative (PSFPI). As a part of this Government initiative BERR offers a selection of UK grown and produced products including English wines.

Departmental Opinion Polls

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1110W, on departmental opinion polls, what opinion polls his Department has conducted of the public since 27 June.

Gareth Thomas: The Department does not centrally collect the information sought and to provide it would entail disproportionate cost.
	Only statistical surveys to businesses and local authorities conducted by the Department and its agencies are monitored centrally to facilitate control of compliance costs to business and departmental expenditure on survey activity. The answer would incur disproportionate cost because of the need to ask all directorates in BERR, plus agencies and associated non-departmental public bodies, to attempt to provide details of each survey and piece of research commissioned which may contain opinion questions.

Employment Tribunals Service

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he plans to take to  (a) promote alternative forms of dispute resolution in cases of employment tribunals and  (b) reduce the length of time for employment disputes to be resolved once they have gone to tribunal.

Patrick McFadden: We will be setting out proposals in the Government response to the consultation "Resolving disputes in the workplace". The response will be published shortly.

Industry: Subsidies

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much state aid has been authorised to each EU member state's  (a) national airline,  (b) coal industry and  (c) steel industry by the European Commission in the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: The European Commission issues reports on state aid in the State Aid Scoreboard, which provides statistical information on authorised state aid in each member state—available at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/state aid/studies reports/stat tables.html
	Part 1 of the scoreboard provides country specific information on state aid by sector and objective including, manufacturing sectors, coal and transport. In addition, the Commission publishes on its website a State Aid Register, which gives detailed information on all State aid cases which have been approved by the Commission since 1 January 2000—at:
	http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/state_aid/register/

Overseas Investment: Burma

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total value of UK foreign direct investment in Burma was in each year since 2000.

Gareth Thomas: The UK Government discourage trade and investment with Burma. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures for the UK's foreign direct investment in Burma for the period 2001-04 are protected by commercial confidentiality. The ONS recorded a nil investment return in 2005. Data for 2006 will be published in February 2008.

Overseas Trade: Burma

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total value of British trade with Burma has been in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: The Government have a long-standing policy of not encouraging British firms to trade with or invest in Burma. We offer no commercial services to companies wishing to trade with or invest in Burma. British companies who inquire about trade with Burma are informed of the grave political situation, the regime's atrocious record on human rights and the country's dire economic prospects.
	The following table is based on HM Revenue and Customs Overseas Trade Statistics.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK imports of goods from Burma  UK exports of goods to Burma 
			 1997 19.5 15.4 
			 1998 17.3 12.6 
			 1999 23.8 7.4 
			 2000 49.3 8.6 
			 2001 66.6 9.5 
			 2002 64.3 7.3 
			 2003 62.3 5.0 
			 2004 73.8 2.2 
			 2005 34.6 10.0 
			 2006 26.7 3.7

Post Offices: Closures

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which post offices in Liverpool Riverside constituency have been  (a) considered for closure and  (b) closed by Post Office Ltd. in the last 10 years; which post offices in that constituency have closed for other reasons over that period; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 11 December 2007
	 This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Postal Votes

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with the  (a) Electoral Commission and  (b) Ministry of Justice on measures to improve the efficiency and security of postal voting.

Patrick McFadden: We have had no such discussions. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for electoral policy issues, including matters relating to postal voting procedures. The general security of items posted under licence is governed under a Mail Integrity Code which is overseen by Postcomm, the independent industry regulator.

Research Councils: Expenditure

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what basis Lord Truscott, in his letter to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak, dated 27 June 2007, was able to state that the £68 million taken from unspent funds in the Research Councils met departmental budgetary pressures that included  (a) the restructuring of British Energy,  (b) meeting the shortfall in EU structural funds,  (c) the collapse of MG Rover and  (d) increased spend on the Technology Programme and Space Projects.

Gareth Thomas: DTI's memorandum to the Trade and Industry Committee in February 2007 explained changes which were being made in the spring supplementary estimate. This included the fact that in 2006/07, the DTI faced a budget shortfall due to a number of factors including the funding of the British Energy rescue package from within the SR04 settlement, and clarification of the budgeting guidance in November 2005.
	The Department also had to face a number of unforeseen pressures that arose after the SR04 settlement had been made. These included the fall out from MG Rover, an increase in demand-led services, and the need to fund new cross-governmental priorities. Dealing with these pressures, left DTI without any significant flexibility to manage budgets and absorb new pressures.
	DTI sought to manage these pressures within its budget. The Department looked rigorously at all elements of non ring-fenced spend to identify efficiencies and flexibilities and as a result identified significant savings to be put towards pressures. These savings, however, were not sufficient to provide cover for the unavoidable pressures faced in 2006/07. This complex picture led to the use of unspent funds from the ring-fenced science budget in order to fund residual pressures which the Department was facing.

Skilled Workers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government have taken to encourage employers to educate their workforces and increase their skills base in the last five years.

David Lammy: holding answer 22 November 2007
	 I have been asked to reply.
	This Department is leading the Government's work to ensure we have a workforce with the world class skills the 21(st) century demands. For our businesses, a more highly skilled workforce is the path to higher productivity, competitiveness and profitability. For our citizens, better skills are the path to sustained employment, career progression, and increased income.
	In July 2007, we published "World Class Skills" setting out our plans for England to deliver a step change in the nation's attitude towards education. Through the measures in "World Class Skills" we will give employers the opportunity to exert real leverage and decision making over the content and delivery of skills and employment programmes. With the role of sector skills councils more sharply focused on raising demand and investment from employers; in articulating the future skills needs of their employers; and ensuring that the supply of skills and qualifications is driven by employers.
	At the forefront of our strategy is the Skills Pledge giving employers an opportunity to publicly demonstrate their commitment to investing in the skills of their employees; and an improved and expanded Train to Gain service to help employers of all sizes and in all sectors to identify and address their skills needs.
	In its first year 52,730 employers have been engaged through Train to Gain against a target of 47,770 and almost a quarter of a million employees have been trained. And week on week numbers of employers making the Skills Pledge continues to grow since its launch in June 2007, with now over 630 employers having made the commitment covering more than 3.1 million employees.
	Trade Unions also have an important role to play in achieving our ambitions. There are now more than 18,000 trained Union Learning Representatives working across the country to encourage more people to participate in training.

Summertime: Energy

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on carbon dioxide emissions of introducing British Summer Time in winter and double British Summer Time in summer;
	(2)  when he last assessed the potential effects on UK energy consumption of introducing British Summer Time in winter and double British Summer Time in summer;
	(3)  if he will assess the effects on  (a) domestic and  (b) commercial fuel bills of introducing British Summer Time in winter and double British Summer Time in summer;
	(4)  what his Department's assessment is of the potential effects on energy consumption of introducing British Summer Time in winter and double British Summer Time in summer.

Patrick McFadden: Research undertaken by the Building Research Establishment for DEFRA in 2005 indicates that putting clocks forward an additional one hour in winter and summer would lead to a net increase in carbon dioxide emissions corresponding to around 1 per cent. of total UK emissions of carbon dioxide, as a result of increased energy consumption in UK buildings for lighting, space heating and cooling. The study also shows that a switch to British Summer Time all the year round would increase emissions by just under 0.5 per cent. The study was based on modelling patterns of energy use in the UK building stock.
	We are not convinced that a change to current arrangements would be in the best interests of the UK and so there are no plans to change the summer time arrangements at this time.

Trade Agreements: India

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the timeline is for the EU/India Free Trade Agreement under negotiation; and what commitments the Agreements on Labour Liberalisation make as currently drafted.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 10 December 2007
	Spring 2009 is the proposed deadline for the completion of the EU/India Free Trade Agreement but this will require concerted effort from both sides as negotiations are still at an early stage.
	The inclusion of international labour standards in this Free Trade Agreement, in line with International Labour Organisation guidelines, is of importance in these negotiations.

VAT: North West Region

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many businesses have  (a) registered and  (b) deregistered for VAT in (i) Lancashire and (ii) the North West in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The number of new VAT registrations and de-registrations in the Lancashire county and the North West are shown for 2002 to 2006, alongside the total number of VAT registered businesses at the start of each year.
	
		
			  VAT registrations, de-registrations and stock of VAT registered businesses in Lancashire county( 1) 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Registrations 3,020 3,405 3,175 3,030 2,925 — 
			 De-registrations 2,655 2,685 2,540 2,370 2,310 — 
			 Start of year stock 31,575 31,935 32,655 33,290 33,950 34,565 
			 (1) Lancashire county does not include Blackpool UA or Blackburn with Darwen UA.  Source: Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2006 Available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat 
		
	
	
		
			  VAT registrations, de-registrations and stock of VAT registered businesses in the North West 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Registrations 17,385 19,005 18,080 17,940 17,920 — 
			 De-registrations 15,550 15,070 14,740 13,670 13,670 — 
			 Start of year stock 168,415 170,250 174,185 177,525 181,795 186,045 
			  Source:  Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2006. Available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat 
		
	
	Although the number of registrations and de-registrations has fluctuated over the period, the total number of VAT registered businesses in Lancashire county has increased from 31,575 at the start of 2002 to 34,565 in 2007, an increase of 2,990 (9 per cent.). Over the same period the number of VAT registered businesses in the North West increased from 168,415 to 186,045, an increase of 17,630 (10 per cent.).
	VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was £60,000 at the start of 2006. Similarly, businesses that de-register may not have closed. Only 1.9 million out of 4.5 million UK enterprises (43 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2006.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by his Department and its predecessor  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by his Department.

Gareth Thomas: The information requested is not centrally held by the Department and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

Aortic Aneurysm: Screening

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider the merits of a mass screening programme for aneurysm of the abdominal aorta in males over the age of 50 years; what estimate he has made of the number of deaths per year in the UK caused by this condition; and if he will estimate what the cost of such a screening programme would be.

Ann Keen: The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (NSC) has advised that screening men at age 65 for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) can be recommended in principle.
	The number of deaths in 2005 in England and Wales (for both men and women of all age groups) from abdominal aortic aneurysms was approximately 7,000. An exact figure cannot be identified because of the amalgamation of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms in some sub-codes of the International Classification of Disease.
	Work is currently in progress to assess the implications of implementing abdominal aortic aneurysm screening in England. This assessment has to take account of the likely impact of a screening programme on existing healthcare services and the infrastructure and staffing requirements in order for a programme to be safely introduced, and will include costings. Such assessments are normally undertaken before major screening policy decisions are made.

Asylum: Health Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost of providing NHS health care to asylum seekers in England and Wales was in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what criteria he uses to determine the Government's policy on whether the UK's terms of provision of health care to asylum seekers comply with  (a) the European Convention on Human Rights and  (b) other international obligations;
	(3)  what consultations he has had with the medical profession on proposals to withdraw free health care from asylum seekers;
	(4)  what steps he plans to take in relation to health care practitioners who provide medical treatment to asylum seekers without charge.

Dawn Primarolo: The United Kingdom has international obligations which mean that anyone who has made a formal application for asylum in the UK under the 1951 United Nations Convention and its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees is entitled to free national health service health care for as long as that application, including appeals, is under consideration. The Government's approach is also in accordance with our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights on which there is extensive case law both domestic and from the European Court of Human Rights. The UK has also transposed into national legislation European Community Directive 2003/9/EC of 27 January 2003, which lays down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers.
	Our aim is also that asylum seekers who spend time in Border and Immigration Agency initial accommodation in England prior to dispersal should be offered Departmental funded health assessments and tuberculosis screening. This assists in identifying and addressing immediate health care needs through the use of trained health care staff and interpreters, and avoids duplication of questions and checks later by recording medical histories in a patient hand help record that the asylum seeker can keep with them.
	There are no plans to withdraw free health care from asylum seekers. Consequently, no such consultations on withdrawing treatment have taken place, nor will steps be taken in relation to health care practitioners correctly providing asylum seekers with free medical treatment.
	The cost of providing NHS health care to asylum seekers is not recorded. Therefore, it is not possible to provide that information.

Breast Cancer

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of a woman's risk of contracting breast cancer across her lifetime; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: holding answer 10 December 2007
	One in nine women will develop breast cancer at some time in their life. The estimated risk of developing it for each of the other age groups has been calculated as:
	up to age 25, one in 15,000;
	up to age 30, one in 1,900;
	up to age 40, one in 200;
	up to age 50, one in 50;
	up to age 60, one in 23;
	up to age 70, one in 15;
	up to age 80, one in 11;
	up to age 85, one in 10.
	 Source
	Cancer Trends in England and Wales 1950-1999, National Statistics Studies on Medical and Population Subjects, no 66, 2001, Quinn et al

Breast Feeding: Publicity

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department plans to provide in support of Breastfeeding Awareness Week 2008.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department plans to spend £275,000 on the national Breastfeeding Awareness Week, which will be held from 11 to 17 May 2008. In addition, the Department plans to continue and sustain the promotion of breastfeeding throughout the year.

Cancer: Health Services

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce the cancer reform strategy.

Ann Keen: The cancer reform strategy was published on 3 December 2007, and copies are available in the Vote Office.

Care Homes

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he took to reduce the number of standards against which care homes were inspected between 2001-02 and 2006-07; and what the reasons were for those actions.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 11 December 2007
	 The number of National Minimum Standards (NMS) has not changed since their introduction in 2002. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is required to take account of the NMS in assessing providers' compliance with regulations. It is for CSCI to determine its methodology for doing so.

Care Homes: Closures

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used to judge the performance of care homes; and how many  (a) care homes,  (b) residential homes and  (c) nursing homes were ordered to close in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 10 December 2007
	The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is responsible, under the Care Standards Act 2000 and associated Regulations, including the Care Homes Regulations 2001, for the inspection and regulation of care and nursing homes. When inspecting care homes, CSCI must have regard to the national minimum standards, which were introduced in 2002.
	Data on care home closures prior to the establishment of CSCI in 2004 are not held centrally.
	All care and nursing homes are residential. We are informed by CSCI that homes are registered to provide personal care only or care with nursing. The numbers of homes that were ordered to close under Section 20 of the Care Standards Act 2000 in each of the last four inspection years, since the inception of CSCI, are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Homes ordered to close under Section 20 of the Care Standards Act 2000 
			  Period  Homes providing personal care  Homes providing care with nursing 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 5 0 
			 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 0 1 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 3 0 
			 1 April 2007 to 7 December 2007 7 0

Care Homes: Inspections

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends to give care homes an inspection holiday; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 11 December 2007
	The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) has developed, through the inspection methodology, "Inspecting for Better Lives", a proportionate inspection framework based on risk. This enables CSCI to focus its resources on those homes that have been assessed as requiring the most improvement. Minimum inspection frequencies are based on quality ratings as follows:
	homes classified as 'poor' receive two key inspections per year;
	homes classified as 'adequate' receive one key inspection per year;
	homes classified as 'good' receive one key inspection every two years; and
	homes classified as 'excellent' receive one key inspection every three years.
	Even when a home is judged to be 'good' or 'excellent', it will continue to be monitored throughout the period and CSCI will act on any concerns, complaints or allegations. In addition to key inspections, which are thorough, detailed inspection, under which CSCI will assess all of the key national minimum standards. CSCI also carries out 'random' and 'thematic' inspections, which are short, focused inspections on a specific theme or area.
	Annual Service Reviews are also conducted from information obtained from the home and a report produced on an annual basis. CSCI has the power to conduct an inspection of any home at any time period if the information it receives warrants it.

Child Health Interim Application

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 14 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1351W, on the Child Health Interim Application, whether the catch-up exercise has been completed; if he will place in the Library the options report; what updates his Ministers received at the end of January 2007; when the National Child Health Immunisation Board last met; and if he will make available the minutes of its meetings.

Dawn Primarolo: The catch-up exercise will be completed across the Child Health Interim Application (CHIA) primary care trusts (PCTs) by the end of March 2008.
	The "CHIA Option Appraisal Process—Final Report" has been placed in the Library.
	The former Minister of State for Health my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) was updated by officials on 29 January 2007 in relation to the National Immunisation Programme, data issues, specific COVER Data problems with regard to the 10 PCTs using CHIA, and the establishment of a National Child Health Immunisation Programme Board.
	The National Child Health Immunisation Board last met on 15 October 2007. The minutes of this meeting will be made available when they have been finalised.

Chiropody: Greater London

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many chiropodists there were in  (a) Uxbridge constituency,  (b) the London borough of Hillingdon and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: This information is shown in the following table. The workforce census recorded Hillingdon Primary Care Trust (PCT) as the sole employer of chiropodists/podiatrists in the Uxbridge constituency and the London borough of Hillingdon. The number of chiropodists/podiatrists in the national health service in England has increased by 469 (14 per cent.) since 1997 to 3,755 in 2006.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified chiropody/podiatry staff in England, the London strategic health authority area and the Hillingdon PCT area 
			  headcount 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006( 1) 
			 England 3,286 3,325 3,368 3,473 3,561 3,638 3,807 3,941 3,913 3,755 
			  of which:   
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 489 511 500 533 531 476 502 518 528 488 
			  of which:   
			 Hillingdon Primary Care Trust area n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 13 14 14 15 13 
			 n/a = not available. Prior to 2002 chiropody/podiatry services for the Hillingdon PCT area were provided by Harrow and Hillingdon Healthcare NHS Trust. In 2002 the trust was split into the Harrow and Hillingdon PCTs, and it is impossible to retrospectively split the census data between these two organisations. (1 )More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total workforce figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time.  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Counter Fraud and Security Management Services Division

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Counter Fraud and Security Management Services Division recovered in fraud detected or prevented in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07; and what proportion these figures represented of the division's costs in each year.

Ann Keen: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			 Counter fraud costs(1) 13,262,120 13,184,000 
			 Detection savings(2) 7,265,711 11,821,347 
			 Prevention savings 1,920,000 (3)(-)— 
			 Cash recoveries 1,448,619 2,035,814 
			  (4)27,750,000 
			 (1 )'Counter fraud costs' consist of the NHS Counter Fraud Service budget plus the Department's funding of civil proceedings. (2) 'Detection savings' equal losses that would otherwise have been sustained had fraud not been detected, calculated using the average duration of frauds of the same type. (3) 'Prevention savings' figures are produced through periodic measurement exercises. Exercises due to be carried out in 2008-09 will measure reduced losses in the period 2006-07 to 2007-08. (4 )'Cash recoveries' include recoveries through settlement of ongoing civil proceedings (brought by the Department) against certain generic drugs companies.

Dental Services: Armed Forces

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the role of his Department is in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence in recruiting military dentists; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: It is the responsibility of the single services to recruit military dentists to fill established posts in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. However, the Ministry of Defence and UK Departments of Health Partnership Board considers work force issues generally.

Dental Services: Greater London

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists in  (a) Uxbridge constituency,  (b) Hillingdon Primary Care Trust and  (c) Greater London (i) admitted new adult patients to their list and (ii) treated NHS patients between the ages of 18 to 65 years in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information on national health service dentists who admitted new patients to their list is not collected centrally.
	Under the old contractual arrangements which were in place until 2006 patients had to register with an individual dentist.
	The numbers of patients registered with an NHS dentist at primary care trust and strategic health authority area are available in Annex A of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006". Information at parliamentary constituency level is available in Annex C. Data are available annually as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 and are broken down by children (aged 17 and under) and adults (aged 18 and over).
	This report has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006

Departmental Board

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, column 711W on the Departmental Board, if he will place in the Library a copy of the evaluation report from the Winter Willow scenario exercise referred to in paragraph 4.1 of the minutes of the meeting held in July 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The report 'Exercise Winter Willow—Lessons Identified' was published on 30 August and a copy has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Manpower

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which teams across Whitehall worked on the review of social care funding announced by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) on 30 March 2006; how many people worked in each of those teams; and how many officials worked on the review.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has not quantified the work of the Comprehensive Spending Review Social Care Working Group. The allocation of personnel and staff hours varied according to the task at hand.

Departmental Manpower

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the review of social care funding group announced by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) on 30 March 2006 met; and whether the personnel of that group remained as announced by the hon. Gentleman.

Ivan Lewis: The Department Comprehensive Spending Review Social Care Working Group, met four times in total during June, July, October and November 2006. Group membership remained largely as announced by the then Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Byrne) on 30 March, although some Departments chose to be more closely involved in discussions than others. Following ministerial changes in May 2006, I became chair of the group.

Depressive Illnesses: Incapacity Benefit

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking with health professionals to reduce the numbers of people on incapacity benefit for conditions such as anxiety and depression;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of co-operation between GPs and employers in assisting people with long-term mental health conditions.

Ivan Lewis: The Department is actively ensuring that all healthcare professionals fully understand the links between health and work, including issues surrounding mental health, and the role that they can play in helping their patients to stay in or quickly return to work. As such we are developing a range of programmes to educate and training healthcare professionals, including:
	piloting a national education programme for general practitioners (GPs), which is currently being evaluated, to communicate key messages on links between work and health with a view to influencing GP practice in relation to advising patients about work;
	commissioning a training module for GPs on handling difficult fitness for work discussions with patients;
	developing a leaflet for GPs outlining the key messages from the evidence review as relevant to their practice;
	developing key messages for medical students to be included in their training, with a website based package of resources for use by medical schools;
	commissioning the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to find ways to incorporate key health and work content into postgraduate training of doctors; and
	developing an online learning module for nurses on health and work issues which is almost complete and will be launched in early November.

Dermatology

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what account is taken of dermatological services provision in allocating NHS funding to strategic health authorities; and what assessment he has made of geographical variations in funding for dermatology services;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of variations in the provision of skin care services by region.

Ann Keen: Revenue allocations are made directly to primary care trusts (PCTs) and not to strategic health authorities (SHAs). Funding is allocated to PCTs on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each PCTs share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.
	It is for PCTs to assess the need for services locally, including dermatological services, and to commission services accordingly. By December 2008, patients on consultant-led pathways can expect a maximum wait of 18 weeks from general practitioner (GP) referral to the start of consultant-led treatment. This will include consultant-led dermatological services.
	The following table shows spending on skin problems in pounds per 100,000 weighted population.
	
		
			  Programme 14—skin problems 
			   Unified weighted population  £ per 100,000 weighted population 
			 North East SHA 2,838,474 2,882,323 
			 North West SHA 7,515,353 2,850,112 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA 5,123,256 3,080,686 
			 East Midlands SHA 4,079,218 2,732,852 
			 West Midlands SHA 5,440,919 2,806,622 
			 East of England SHA 5,156,896 2,989,763 
			 London SHA 7,994,491 2,605,832 
			 South East Coast SHA 3,981,155 2,891,875 
			 South Central SHA 3,506,664 3,087,978 
			 South West SHA 4,839,805 2,581,075 
			  Source:  www.dh.gov.uk/Programmebudgeting

Diseases: Children

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there has been in the incidence of  (a) diphtheria,  (b) tetanus,  (c) pertussis,  (d) haemophilus influenzae type b,  (e) polio,  (f) meningitis C,  (g) measles,  (h) mumps,  (i) rubella and  (j) acellular pertussis amongst children in London in the last two years.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of cases of confirmed diphtheria, tetanus, haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), poliomyelitis, meningococcal serogroup C (MenC), measles, mumps, rubella and clinically diagnosed pertussis in London children for the last two years for which data is available are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Disease  2005  2006 
			 Diphtheria(1) 0 0 
			 Tetanus(1) 0 0 
			 Pertussis(2) 36 53 
			 Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)(1) 4 6 
			 Poliomyelitis 0 0 
			 Meningococcal serogroup C (MenC)(1) 0 1 
			 Measles(1) 30 194 
			 Mumps(1) 217 55 
			 Rubella(1) 1 1 
			 (1 )Confirmed cases in children aged 0-14 years. (2) Notified cases in children aged 0-14 years.  Source: Health Protection Agency

Doctors: Disciplinary Proceedings

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what average length of time an NHS doctor spent on  (a) full and  (b) part pay during a period of suspension in the last period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The number of doctors employed in the NHS in England who were suspended (now referred to as excluded), for the period of April 2006 to March 2007 was:
	77 new exclusions, of which
	62 are now concluded, and
	15 are still ongoing.
	Information on the pay status of doctors who are excluded from work is not held centrally; however the exclusion procedure, set out in detail in Part II of the 'Maintaining High Professional Standards' national framework introduced in 2005, is usually on full pay (paragraph 25). Under certain exceptional circumstances a doctor may be excluded without pay; however, no doctor would be excluded on part pay.
	The average length of exclusion of the 62 concluded cases mentioned above was 15 weeks.

Doctors: Disciplinary Proceedings

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS doctors are suspended, broken down by reason for suspension.

Ben Bradshaw: The following information is taken from the National Clinical Assessment Service Register of Exclusions and Suspensions as at 7 December 2007 and relate to all medical practitioners in the national health service and foundation trusts for England, who are currently excluded or suspended (for any duration).
	There are 120 suspensions as at 7 December 2007. Around three-quarters of these suspensions fall under the category of conduct/suitability, the other quarter (approximately) of suspensions fall under the category of either capability/efficiency, health or critical incident.

Drugs: Death

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died from drug overdoses while on hard drug substitutes in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Egton Medical Information Systems: Prescriptions

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment has been made of the ethical propriety of Egton Medical Information Systems having a facility to direct prescriptions to Pharmacy2U; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what controls there are on general practitioners and other primary care staff directing prescriptions to particular pharmacies.

Dawn Primarolo: Matters of ethical propriety are primarily for the relevant professional bodies. I expect all health professionals to maintain the highest standards in delivering national health service services. The General Medical Council's "Good Medical Practice" and "Good Practice in Prescribing Medicines" make it clear that patients should be free to choose from which pharmacy to have their prescribed medicines dispensed.
	In addition, the regulations supporting the nomination of a dispenser by patients as part of the Electronic Prescription Service provide safeguards to stop primary care contractors from seeking to persuade patients to nominate a particular dispenser.

Elderly: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he intends the  (a) health and  (b) social care regulators to begin looking for evidence of nutritional screening in their assessments of local services as stated on page 28 of his Department's document, Improving Nutritional Care; what they will use as evidence of nutritional screening; whether they intend to publicly identify those organisations that do not have evidence of nutritional screening; whether any other penalties will be available to the regulators to impose on those local services which do not have evidence of nutritional screening; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will provide the evidential basis for the statement that nutritional screening is beginning to be implemented in hospitals and care homes, as stated on page 22 of his Department's document, Improving Nutritional Care.

Ivan Lewis: The Healthcare Commission (HCC) have advised that it currently collects data on nutritional screening in national health service organisations as part of the annual health check process, with all the powers to penalise they are entitled to. Nutritional screening is measured against the core standards relevant to Dignity in Care—these include core standards C15a and 15b on nutrition. The HCC will also advise strategic health authorities to carry on working with trusts at a local level to facilitate improvement in services for older people.
	The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) will use its annual quality assurance assessment to ask all providers to confirm that they carry out nutritional screening for people at risk of malnutrition. Where evidence raises concern about nutrition and malnutrition, it will ensure that this is fully explored during the next inspection of the service. CSCI could also make statutory requirements if it felt the wellbeing of people who use services are at risk.

Food: Advertising

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the regulation of advertising of unhealthy food to children; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The current rules on advertising and promotion of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar to children are being held under review by Government. The company Thomson Intermedia have been contracted by the Department to collect and analyse data on food and drink advertising across a range of broadcast and non-broadcast media. This data and analysis will be used by the Department to produce a report on changes to the advertising landscape since 2003, as part of their ongoing monitoring of food promotion to children.

General Practitioners: Wakefield

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs were practising in Wakefield constituency in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the latest year for which figures are available; and how many GP premises have been opened in Wakefield constituency since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. However, information relating to the Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale primary care trusts (PCTs) has been set out in the following table. The Calderdale PCT is included in the 2006 data for comparability purposes as Calderdale and Kirklees were one health authority together in 1997.
	
		
			  General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) by selected areas, as at 1997 and 2006 
			  Number (headcount) 
			1997  2006 
			 5J6 Calderdale PCT n/a 112 
			 5N2 Kirklees PCT n/a 250 
			 5N3 Wakefield District PCT n/a 234 
			 QDT Calderdale and Kirklees HA 304 n/a 
			 QDQ Wakefield Health Care 183 n/a 
			 n/a = data not available  Notes: 1. Data presented for organisations in existence in the specified years. 2. Data as at 1 October 1997 and 30 September 2006. 3. Calderdale PCT is included for comparability purposes with the former Calderdale and Kirklees Health Authority  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics 
		
	
	Information relating to general practitioner premises which have opened in the Wakefield PCT area is not held centrally. This can instead be obtained direct from the PCT concerned.

HIV Infection: EC Countries

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on plans to increase the awareness of young people of the risk of catching HIV.

Dawn Primarolo: The Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with his European counterparts about HIV and young people. European health department officials, including the Department of Health, have considered the need for action to increase awareness of HIV in young people and other vulnerable groups through meetings of the European Commission's AIDS Think Tank. The last meeting was 15-16 November 2007.

Hospital Wards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Nightingale wards were converted to modern accommodation in hospitals in England in each financial year since 1997-98 for which figures are available; and how many Nightingale wards there were in total in each financial year over the same period.

Ann Keen: Data are not collected centrally in the format requested.
	Information on the number of Nightingale wards is collected annually.
	In 2001, a one-off national health service estates survey found 1,115 Nightingale wards in use. Since then, data has been collected using the estates-related information collection, which reports the following numbers. Data submission is no longer mandatory and therefore information beyond 2005-06 has not been included. Data were not collected prior to 2001.
	
		
			  Total Nightingale wards in use 
			   Number 
			 2002-03 694 
			 2003-04 495 
			 2004-05 377 
			 2005-06 165 
		
	
	The data were collected from the NHS and then validated by NHS Estates.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department plans to spend in each year between 2007-08 and 2010-11 on deep cleaning hospitals.

Ann Keen: For information on funding in 2007-08, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written ministerial statement of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 135WS, which sets out that, across the NHS, £57 million will be spent on deep cleans.
	Funding for cleaning will continue to be included in future primary care trust (PCT) allocations. It is for PCTs and trusts to agree the most appropriate ongoing cleaning programme for their local circumstances, including deep cleaning.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what date strategic health authorities will report to his Department on progress on hospital deep cleaning programmes in their areas.

Ann Keen: We will be able to confirm in the spring that deep cleans have been completed.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to give matrons and ward sisters the powers  (a) to report cleaning contractors and safety concerns directly to hospital boards,  (b) to order additional cleaning and  (c) to send out a message that contractors must meet the highest standards of cleanliness or lose their contract.

Ann Keen: The chief nursing officer and the director general of national health service finance, performance and operations wrote to all chief executives of strategic health authorities, NHS trusts and foundation trusts on 1 November 2007 setting out the requirements for local systems to ensure regular reporting to trust boards and for an escalation system to allow nursing staff to raise their concerns.
	A new quarterly reporting requirement will be introduced by amending the existing provisions of the code of practice for the prevention and control of health care associated infections, to ensure that concerns relating to cleanliness are reported to the board.
	The chief nursing officer and director general of NHS finance, performance and operations' letter of 1 November 2007 also set out clearly the expectations around enhancing the nursing role in cleaning. This included ensuring nurses have the ability to request additional cleaning. Trusts can already give matrons the authority to withhold payments from cleaning service providers and, ultimately, to recommend termination of the contract. Trusts should already be taking steps to instigate any changes to ensure these expectations become reality, including where necessary agreeing changes to contracts.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional funds he has provided to hospital matrons to order additional cleaning.

Ann Keen: Funding for cleaning is already included in primary care trust allocations. In addition, £50 million has been made available for strategic health authority (SHA) directors of nursing to spend on tackling healthcare associated infections in 2007-08 as well as £57 million which has been made available through SHAs for deep cleans in 2007-08. £50 million was also made available through the capital challenge fund to tackle infections in 2006-07.
	The comprehensive spending review funding settlement includes £270 million per year by 2010-11 to tackle healthcare associated infections.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department gave to strategic health authorities to help them decide how much they should allocate for deep cleaning in 2007-08;
	(2)  from which part of strategic health authority budgets the money for deep cleaning announced on 21 November 2007 has been taken;
	(3)  by what date strategic health authorities will be expected to report progress across their regions on deep cleaning to his Department;
	(4)  by what date trusts will have to submit detailed deep cleaning plans, including costs, to their primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement by the Secretary of State for Health on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 134-35WS. In addition, copies of letters of 1 and 29 November 2007 from the Department to strategic health authorities giving further details on plans for deep cleaning have been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent staff in each payband in his Department are working on the deep clean of the NHS.

Ann Keen: Within the Department, different teams within the Chief Nursing Officer's Directorate and the NHS Finance, Performance and Operations Directorate are involved in different aspects of the deep clean programme, for instance in policy development or performance management. As it is a front line delivery issue, the programme will be delivered by trusts and monitored by primary care trusts and strategic health authorities (SHAs). SHAs will ensure that all trusts have plans in place to deliver deep cleans before 31 March 2008.

Hospitals: Food

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of food was per day per patient in an NHS hospital in 2006-07.

Ann Keen: Information is not collected in the precise format requested. However, in 2006-07 the average amount spent per patient meal was £2.83. This amount includes the cost of provisions and staff costs. Patients are expected to receive three main meals a day and the average total daily cost of providing food for hospital patients can therefore be estimated to be £8.49.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department plans to spend in each year between 2007-08 and 2010-11 on  (a) MRSA and  (b) clostridium difficile screening for (i) elective patients and (ii) emergency admissions.

Ann Keen: Funding to support implementation of screening of all patients for meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus will be reflected in future primary care trust allocations. Our central assessment of the cost of screening all admitted patients for MRSA is £124 million per annum, but it is for local organisations to determine how to implement improvements to patient care, so actual spend will be based on local implementation decisions.
	Prompt testing of patients who develop diarrhoea is crucial but we have not made any commitments to introduce screening for clostridium difficile because there is no evidence that it is clinically effective.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there has been in the level of hospital-acquired infections since the introduction of subcontracting in hospital cleaning; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Mandatory surveillance of health care associated infections was not introduced until 2001 but prevalence surveys of health care associated infections were undertaken in 1980, 1993 and 2006. There has been little change in the prevalence of hospital acquired infections overall over the last twenty years.
	The Conservative Government introduced compulsory competitive tendering in 1983, requiring the national health service to market test domestic cleaning, catering, and linen and laundry services on a regular basis. This Government lifted that requirement in 2000 and trusts must now benchmark their services before deciding whether to market test.
	Current guidance on contracting for cleaning makes it clear that quality must be considered alongside cost when deciding how to provide cleaning services. Recent information suggests that there is currently no difference between in-house and out-sourced cleaning in terms of standards and outcomes.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts  (a) were and  (b) were not auditing compliance with policies on invasive procedures, as stated in his Department's chief nursing officer's Dear Colleague letter of 8 November 2007, on the national confidential study of deaths following MRSA infection.

Ann Keen: We are unable to name participating trusts as this was a confidential study and trusts co-operated on the understanding that they were doing so in confidence.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the £140 million his Department was allocated in the comprehensive spending review to reduce clostridium difficile infections by  (a) financial year and  (b) anti-infection measure on which this money will be spent.

Ann Keen: This funding will be included within primary care trust (PCT) allocations to support PCTs to reduce health care associated infections. PCTs are responsible for delivering improvements to patient care, so actual spend will be based on local decisions. Information on the action we expect from the national health service will be included in the 'Healthcare Associated Infections and Cleanliness Strategy' which we will be publishing in early 2008.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide a breakdown of the £130 million his Department was allocated in the comprehensive spending review for the introduction of MRSA screening for all patients, increased powers for matrons and tougher regulation on infection control by  (a) financial year and  (b) anti-infection measure on which this money will be spent.

Ann Keen: The £130 million announced in the comprehensive spending review 2007 was for the introduction of Meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus screening for all patients. Primary care trusts are responsible for delivering improvements to patient care, so actual spend will be based on local decisions. Further details on implementation of this commitment will be included in the 'Healthcare Associated Infections and Cleanliness Strategy' which we will be publishing in early 2008.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason his Department has  (a) made a commitment to screen patients for MRSA on admission to hospital, and  (b) not made a commitment to screen patients for health care associated infections other than MRSA.

Ann Keen: This commitment is based on evidence that screening admitted patients for meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus can reduce infection rates. Equivalent data are not available for other infections. In relation to clostridium difficile infection specifically, expert advice is that screening of asymptomatic patients is unnecessary.

Stem Cell Research

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which  (a) diseases and  (b) conditions were treated using materials created by research on (i) embryonic stem cells and (ii) adult stem cells in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Stem cell research offers exciting opportunities to develop new therapies for a broad range of debilitating conditions, some of which are currently incurable (e.g. neurodegenerative disease). However, at this time, the only clinical use of stem cells remains bone marrow transplants for cancer therapy, though a number of other adult stem cell therapies have entered early phase clinical trials.
	The MRC spent £17.4 million on stem cell research in 2005-06, split 55 per cent. and 45 per cent. between embryonic and adult stem cell research. Much of this is directed at improving the understanding of stem cell biology to ensure effective and safe therapies can be delivered. In terms of clinical therapy, the MRC is funding work in Cardiff to look at transplanting foetal stem cells (and in the longer term human embryonic stem cells) for the neurodegenerative diseases Huntington's and Parkinson's (approximately £2 million), while two experimental medicine awards were funded in 2006 to move towards human trials in stroke and multiple sclerosis (both using autologous adult stem cells).
	The MRC also currently supports a number of clinical trials on the treatment of leukaemias and other blood cancers involving the transplant of adult (bone marrow) stem cells.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much he expects his Department's programme to roll out a human papilloma virus vaccine to all girls to cost in each year to 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: The routine programme could cost up to £100 million a year and the catch-up programme could cost up to £200 million in 2009-10 and 2010-11. Exact figures will not be known until the procurement process for human papilloma virus vaccine has been completed.

Infant Mortality

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the contribution which will be made by medical research to achieving the Government's public service agreement 2010 target to reduce infant mortality.

Dawn Primarolo: Strengthening the research and evidence base to help meet the 2010 health inequalities and infant mortality target was a recommendation of the "Review of the Health Inequalities Infant Mortality PSA Target" published in February. As part of this developing work, the Department has commissioned a programme of systematic reviews of the research evidence to identify and promote the key interventions most likely to contribute to meeting the 2010 target.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of all representations received in response to his Department's national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The draft version of "Pandemic flu: A national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic" was issued for public discussion and comments were reflected in the final version issued in November. We are not planning to place the representations in the Library.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what information is being made available on the use of  (a) anti-viral drugs,  (b) facemasks and  (c) stocking of home supplies in consequence of Exercise Winter Willow; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on progress in the development of a strategy for the operational aspects of anti-viral allocation as a consequence of any future influenza pandemic;
	(3)  what steps are being taken to consider the prioritisation of  (a) anti-viral drugs,  (b) vaccines and  (c) antibiotics in the event of a shortage of supply caused by any future influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the  (a) costs and  (b) benefits of a national stockpile of (i) masks and (ii) antibiotics for health professionals in preparation for any future influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what steps are being taken to ensure that the continuity of supply of  (a) anti-viral stocks,  (b) masks and  (c) antibiotics in the event of any future influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what assessment he has made of the impact of increased demand for countermeasures against an influenza pandemic on the supply of  (a) masks and  (b) antibiotics; what steps he is taking to ensure that supply meets demand in the event of an outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Vaccines, antivirals, antibiotics and facemasks are a key part of the Government response to pandemic influenza. The Government approach to the stockpiling and distribution of these countermeasures is covered in the national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic, published on 22 November 2007. The lessons learned from Exercise Winter Willow have been published on the Cabinet Office website.
	Stockpiling of clinical countermeasures is essential to ensure the continuity of supply and that demand can be met. For example, there is already a stockpile of antivirals sufficient to treat the United Kingdom's population up to a clinical attack rate of 25 per cent. The Government are planning to double the stock of antivirals, to cover at least half the population. We will continue to keep the level of stock under review in light of the scientific evidence, as we develop our business case. The Government also has a stockpile of 3.3 million doses of H5N1 pre-pandemic vaccine for health care workers. The science underpinning the further development and potential use of pre-pandemic vaccine is cutting-edge and has just been reviewed by UK and international experts. We are actively considering their findings and the implications for our policy to inform future decisions.
	The antivirals stockpile should be adequate to treat all those who fall ill in a pandemic of similar proportions to previous ones in the 20th century but we recognise that some prioritisation will be necessary if the attack or consumption rates are higher than anticipated. Antiviral prioritisation has been considered with the Committee on Ethical Aspects of Pandemic Influenza, but final decisions can only be made when the pandemic emerges.
	To be effective, antiviral medicines need to be taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptom. A National Flu Line Service is being developed to enable timely distribution. On contacting the National Flu Line Service, a clinical algorithm will be used to assess a caller's symptoms and determine whether or not they are eligible for antiviral treatment and/or need further care or treatment by a clinician. We are making use of and building upon normal delivery systems by asking NHS Direct, who already provide contact-centre based assessment and triage to callers, to lead on the development of the National Flu Line Service. We are engaging with other stakeholders on its development, including the NHS, independent contractors, and other existing contact centre services. Consultation on legal changes necessary to facilitate this system went out alongside the national framework. The national framework and its supporting guidance, will help trusts create effective local systems for coordinating the operational aspects of antiviral allocation with local partners prior to a pandemic occurring.
	The Government are already making progress with work on the business case for facemasks to be made available to healthcare and social care workers during a pandemic and plan to purchase 34 million disposable respirators and 350 million surgical face masks for the use of health and social care workers in the event of a pandemic. The national framework, advises other employers to seek information on their obligations under health and safety legislation and to carry out local risk assessments to determine whether employees should be provided with facemasks. Stockpiling facemasks for use by the general public is not currently planned. Although the available medical evidence does not support the use of facemasks in all settings, we recognise that the public may want to have access to facemasks for their personal use. The Government will explore the approach that retailers are planning to adopt when stocking facemasks for sale to the public.
	Exercise Winter Willow identified that there may be problems with managing the surge in demand for antibiotics. The range of antibiotics needed to treat bacterial complications arising from pandemic influenza has been identified and published in the form of Clinical Management Guidelines. Building on this, the Government plan to procure 14.7 million treatment courses of antibiotics to treat and prevent the complications arising from pandemic flu. That stockpile will enable us to give antibiotics to vulnerable symptomatic flu patients, such as those with chronic conditions and the elderly, in advance of the development of secondary complications, and to treat others in the community if they develop complications. The antibiotics will also be used in hospitals to treat the sickest patients and may reduce the length of hospitalisation. The procurement of both antivirals and antibiotics will be subject to emerging scientific evidence and to normal commercial procurement procedures to ensure that we purchase those products at the best price, and achieve value for money for the taxpayer.
	This summer, Advance Purchase Agreements for pandemic specific vaccine were signed with GlaxoSmithKline and Baxter. These guarantee a supply of vaccine for the UK population as soon as the vaccine becomes available after the onset of the pandemic; decisions about vaccination strategies will only be made once the clinical impact of the disease becomes known. All decisions on prioritisation will take scientific and ethical issues fully into account.
	Public consultation and information is at the heart of the Government's planning. The Government will be testing the public's reactions to many issues in pandemic planning and decision-making and gauge the level of information on specific issues, including the use of clinical countermeasures. Work continues on the design of a public engagement programme to facilitate this process, with the active participation of the public.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps are being taken to  (a) strengthen and  (b) codify links with international bodies in consequence of Exercise Winter Willow; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Irish Government in consequence of the Exercise Winter Willow programme in the preparations for a potential influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: We have taken steps to codify and strengthen our links at international level by engaging with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) at official level via regular international conferences, meetings, and ongoing exchanges of information about pandemic planning.
	The United Kingdom is also represented at official level at conferences organised by the European Union, the WHO and ECDC and has been at the forefront of pushing for greater international collaboration and engagement in planning for and responding to a possible influenza outbreak as a result of the lessons learned during Exercise Winter Willow.
	Since Exercise Winter Willow took place, officials from the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety have met on two occasions with their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland to ensure consistent and robust pandemic influenza contingency planning.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in considering the development of a streamlined death certification process in the event of any future influenza pandemic as identified in Exercise Winter Willow; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Committee on Ethical Aspects of Pandemic Influenza considered this issue following Exercise Winter Willow. We have produced draft guidance on how death and cremation certification can be streamlined and should be handled in the event of an influenza pandemic.
	This was sent out for public discussion alongside the revised national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic on 22 November.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the role of the Scientific Advisory Group in the event of any future influenza pandemic.

Dawn Primarolo: The role of the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) on pandemic influenza both before and during a pandemic will be to advise the United Kingdom's Government on scientific matters relating to the health response to an influenza pandemic and help in keeping the Government informed of any new developments in science and research. It is envisaged that this will mainly happen via temporary sub-groups of the SAG working on specific questions. Members may also be called upon individually to act as advisers and to provide advice on matters arising on which a member's particular expertise may be of assistance.
	The SAG is currently in the process of being revised. This involves, among others, extending its membership to include a wider range of expertises.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential  (a) use and  (b) effectiveness of the internet as a mechanism for communicating with the public during any future influenza pandemic; what measures will be used to ensure effective communication with those who do not possess a connection to the internet; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place a copy of the communication strategy identifying the best channels of communication with the public during any future pandemic influenza outbreak in the Library; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will provide an update on the development of protocols for effective sharing of national communications messages for  (a) local and  (b) regional use as a consequence of Exercise Winter Willow; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the improvement in public understanding of pandemic  (a) risk and  (b) policy as a consequence of Exercise Winter Willow; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what progress has been made on the production of a clear and agreed script for use in communications during any future influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  for what reasons the role of the National News Co-ordination Centre in co-ordinating messages across Departments was not tested as part of Exercise Winter Willow; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: In spring 2007 the Department carried out targeted public engagement research to explore public understanding of specific elements of the "Pandemic Influenza; draft National Framework for responding to an influenza pandemic". The findings from this research have been incorporated into the "Pandemic Flu: A national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic" published on 22 November. A more comprehensive public engagement programme, commencing in early 2008 will provide a detailed assessment of the public's understanding of the Government's assessment of pandemic risks and policies.
	Conveying accurate, timely, consistent and credible advice and information to the public (including hard to reach groups), professions and business is a major strand of the Government's pandemic preparedness strategy.
	Communication was an important part of Exercise Winter Willow and a wide range of Government Department and agency communicators took part in the exercise.
	The News Co-ordination Centre operated as part of the exercise control in the exercise and played an integral role in ensuring that communications was tested at all levels of the exercise and was represented at all of the meetings during the exercise.
	The lessons from the winter willow exercise—which have been published on the United Kingdom Resilience website—and the spring 2007 public engagement programme have been used in the development of draft communications scripts should the World Health Organisation (WHO) declare a pandemic. These scripts will be further researched and pre-tested as part of the comprehensive public engagement strategy.
	The research findings from the public engagement programme will also be used to refine the Government's pandemic influenza communications preparedness strategy. This strategy will need to be adaptable to reflect specific situations and pandemic scenarios. The draft strategy will be available in spring 2008.
	The communications strategy, currently being developed, will provide advice, information and campaign material to the widest possible audience, and will use a diverse and comprehensive range of communications channels including; digital, print and broadcasting advertising campaigns, a national door drop leaflet and a national flu information line.
	One of the objectives of the planned public engagement programme is to ascertain what communications channels including digital media are required to effectively engage with the public prior to and during a pandemic.
	A copy of the communications strategy will be made available to the Library after the public engagement programme has started.
	The Department will inform the Cabinet Office, the Health Departments of Devolved Administrations and the Health Protection Agency should the WHO declare a pandemic or update threat assessments. The Cabinet Office will alert other Government Departments and work with the Department to develop, update and circulate top line briefings via the Government News Co-ordination Centre. The Department will also alert health and social care organisations and professions in England through strategic health authorities and via the chief medical officer's established public health mechanism. Similar arrangements are in place within the devolved Administrations.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what definition his Department used of business as usual as part of Exercise Winter Willow; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he anticipates publishing guidance on business continuity for health services during any potential influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what guidance has been provided to ambulance services as part of the UK framework for responding to an influenza pandemic; what mechanisms exist to deploy ambulances on the basis of urgent medical treatment; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Information included in the draft national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic, issued in March 2007, was used to inform the planning for Exercise Winter Willow. The draft national framework outlined the United Kingdom's planning presumptions, including those areas where we would intend to maintain business as usual as far as practicable.
	Guidance on preparing acute hospitals, guidance for primary care trusts and primary care professionals on the provision of health care in the community setting, and guidance for ambulance services and their staff was issued for public discussion in March this year. The final guidance was published alongside the National framework for responding to an influenza pandemic on 22 November. They all contain contingency advice for planners. Draft guidance on preparing mental health services was also issued for public comment alongside the National framework.
	The Department has also published guidance for ambulance services alongside the final version of the National framework for responding to an influenza pandemic.
	The Ambulance Service has in place a scripted call handling system that identifies priority cases in order to respond to the needs of patients' clinical requirements.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in reviewing the reporting template for the collection of data as a consequence of Exercise Winter Willow; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: It is assumed that the "reporting template for the collection of data" referred to in the question is the United Kingdom pandemic influenza main health report from the Department to Cabinet Office, a situation report for MICS32/COBRA.
	In follow-up to Exercise Winter Willow, a working group representing the main stakeholders has reviewed and adjusted the reporting template. The revised template is currently being assessed to ensure that it addresses the issues raised during Winter Willow.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the involvement of the voluntary sector in planning preparations for any future influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the discussions he has had with national voluntary agencies on issues relating to any future influenza pandemic.

Dawn Primarolo: The voluntary sector is a critical partner and has been engaged in planning preparations at both the national and local level. In May of this year, Department officials met with voluntary sector organisations to discuss key issues, including how best the voluntary sector can help to respond to a pandemic; key roles will include supporting those that would normally use their services, but also those who become more or temporarily vulnerable in the event of a pandemic. These discussions in turn contributed to the updating of the National framework for responding to an influenza pandemic and the supporting guidance documents. Localities are also engaging with the voluntary sector, and are encouraged—through the national framework and supporting guidance—to involve voluntary organisations in planning preparations from an early stage.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms exist to ensure effective dissemination of best practice in workforce guidance arrangements during any potential future influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: NHS Employers is an organisation which has a key role in supporting the national health service on human resources issues and will ensure that examples of best practice are placed on the NHS Employers' website at:
	www.nhsemployers.org
	The discussion document called 'Pandemic Influenza: Human Resources guidance for the NHS', advises the NHS to work with other local partners including the independent sector providers, local authorities and voluntary agencies. Wider comments and examples of further local best practice are being sought before the guidance is published.
	NHS organisations are advised to regularly review contingency plans for future influenza pandemics. Each strategic health authority has a nominated pandemic flu lead to support planning. They meet on a regular basis to share their experience and to discuss common issues.

Influenza

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the terms of reference are of the National Pandemic Influenza Working Group; on which dates it has met; and what the costs of running the group have been to date.

Dawn Primarolo: Information relating to internal officials meetings is not disclosed.

Lighting: Health Hazards

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the health implications for people with light sensitivity of banning the sale of incandescent light bulbs.

Ann Keen: No assessment has been made. The Government are aware of the need to consider health implications in the event of incandescent light bulbs being phased out and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is working to ensure that there are mechanisms in place to ensure that people have access to appropriate lighting.

Marie Stopes International Conference

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech made by Andrea Duncan, manager of his Department's Sexual Health and HIV Division at the Marie Stopes International Conference on 24 October 2007; which  (a) organisations and  (b) individuals were consulted prior to the speech; who wrote the speech; what input Ministers in his Department had; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: A copy of the speech made by Andrea Duncan, the Sexual Health Programme Manager at the Department of Health, at the Marie Stopes International Conference on 24 October 2007 has been placed in the Library. No organisations or individuals were consulted on the content of the speech. The speech was written by Andrea Duncan.

Meningitis: Research

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government have allocated to research into meningitis since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Over the last ten years, the main part of the Department's total expenditure on health research has been devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual NHS supported research projects including a number concerned with meningitis are available on the national research register at www.nrr.nhs.uk.
	The Department's expenditure on relevant national research programme projects during this time has been:
	
		
			   £000 
			 1997-98 327 
			 1998-99 926 
			 1999-2000 690 
			 2000-01 232 
			 2001-02 25 
			 2002-03 118 
			 2003-04 411 
			 2004-05 361 
			 2005-06 777 
			 2006-07 255 
		
	
	The Health Protection Agency has since 1997 carried out research funded by the Department into vaccines against meningitis B and C (pneumococcocal meningitis and haemophilus influenzae B meningitis). This includes conducting clinical trials on new vaccines for the United Kingdom schedule, the ongoing evaluation of vaccines already in the schedule, and the development of a new meningitis B vaccine. The total cost of this research has been £10.5 million.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government supports medical and clinical research. The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant-in-aid from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
	Available MRC spend figures for research on meningitis are as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2000-01 861 
			 2001-02 458 
			 2002-03 478 
			 2003-04 571 
			 2004-05 393 
			 2005-06 128 
		
	
	Earlier comparable figures are not available

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dedicated beds were available for mental health patients in each year from 1997 to 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Data about the availability of mental health beds are shown in the following table. The year on year reduction in mental health bed numbers reflects the increasing provision by the national health service in England of treatment for patients with mental health conditions in primary care and community settings, without the need for hospital admissions.
	
		
			  Average daily number of beds available for acute mental health services in the national health service in England 
			   Number 
			 1996-97 37,640 
			 1997-98 36,601 
			 1998-99 35,692 
			 1999-2000 34,173 
			 2000-01 34,214 
			 2001-02 32,783 
			 2002-03 32,753 
			 2003-04 32,252 
			 2004-05 31,286 
			 2005-06 29,802 
			 2006-07 27,914 
			  Source: Department of Health form KH03

Muscular Dystrophy

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the initial clinical trial related to the research project into Duchenne muscular dystrophy will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the Government's future support for the project.

Dawn Primarolo: We understand that the trial 'Restoring Dystrophin Expression in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: a UK Consortium for Preclinical Optimisation and a Phase 1 Clinical Trial Using Antisense Oligonucleotides' is likely to have been completed by the end of 2008.
	The Government are funding the trial to that end point at a total cost of £2.2 million. The prospects for further investment of public funds will depend on the outcome of the trial and on the strength and suitability of any bid for such funds that might be made.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence: Cost Effectiveness

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on how many occasions his Department has requested that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence review its economic model for determining cost-effectiveness in technology appraisals;
	(2)  what guidance his Department has issued to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the remit of its review of economic models for determining cost-effectiveness in technology appraisals;
	(3)  whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence proposes to review its economic model for determining cost-effectiveness in technology appraisals.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) methods in appraising health technologies are a matter for the Institute.
	NICE'S guidance development processes are subject to periodic review, which includes public consultation. NICE is currently carrying out a scheduled review of its technology appraisal methods guide and has published a draft methods guide that has been developed following a series of workshops with stakeholders. The draft methods guide is now subject to a three-month public consultation closing on 29 February 2008.
	These consultations are part of NICE'S routine process for ensuring that there is transparency in the way it conducts its work, and that stakeholders have a chance to feed in their views.

NHS: Reorganisation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what research has been  (a) undertaken and  (b) commissioned by his Department since May 2005 on the reconfiguration of NHS services; and if he will place copies of this research in the Library;
	(2)  what plans he has to undertake further research on the impact of NHS reorganisation on  (a) access to healthcare for vulnerable populations and  (b) local economies.

Ann Keen: Proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally. The Department has not undertaken or commissioned any research on the reconfiguration of services and currently has no plans to undertake further research on the impact of NHS reorganisation.

NHS: Finance

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce further NHS Better Care Better Value indicators; which topics are being considered; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: It is likely that the number of Better Care Better Value Indicators published by the NHS Institute will have increased to about 20 by the spring of 2008. A number of options for new indicators are being considered following consultation earlier this year and these are subject to an ongoing process of testing and development.

NHS: Finance

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 388W, on NHS: finance, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of part IX prescriptions dispensed since April 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: No specific assessment has been made as to the reasons for the increase in the number of part IX prescriptions dispensed since April 2006. However, between June 2006 and June 2007 the volume of part IX prescriptions increased by 4.1 per cent. compared with a general prescription growth of 4.6 per cent. for the same period.

NHS: Foreign Nationals

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) foreign and  (b) French nationals used the NHS in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Successive Governments have not required the national health service to submit statistics on the number of foreign nationals treated each year. Therefore, it is not possible to provide this information.

NHS: Managers

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average wage was for each NHS management grade in  (a) the latest period for which figures are available and  (b) 1997.

Ann Keen: Due to the very substantial modernisation of national health service pay systems since 1997 comparisons are not straightforward.
	The average wage of each NHS management grade cannot be calculated because we do not have figures for the number of managers in each grade, only total number of NHS managers across a number of different pay grading systems.
	Managers and senior managers in 1997 would generally have been on a variety of pay scales, including Whitley Council admin and clerical, typically on grade 6 and upward, and senior manger pay (SMP) grades, typically band 30 and upward. These are set out as follows:
	
		
			  A and C grades 6 to 10 
			   Grade 
			   6  7  8  9  10 
			  From 1 April 1997  
			 Minimum 16,312 19,848 24,146 28,248 33,048 
			 Maximum 19,085 23,219 27,163 31,777 37,175 
			   
			  From 1 December 1997  
			 Minimum 16,520 20,101 24,453 28,608 33,469 
			 Maximum 19,328 23,515 27,509 32,182 37,648 
		
	
	 General and senior managers
	National pay rates for general and senior managers in place during 1997 are set out in the tables:
	
		
			  General and senior managers in regional and district health authorities 
			   Group  Range (£) 
			 Region Regional general manager 56,350-81,410 
			
			 District Group 1 50,710-73,240 
			  Group 2 47,890-69,180 
			  Group 3 43,820-63,540 
			
			 Unit Group 1 43,820-63,540 
			  Group 2 38,500-55,720 
			  Group 3 34,740-50,400 
			  Group 4 30,060-43,510 
		
	
	
		
			  General and senior managers in post-graduate special health authorities 
			  Group  Range (£) 
			 National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery 43,820-63,540 
			 Eastman Dental Hospital 43,820-63,540 
		
	
	
		
			  Family health services authority general manager 
			  Group  Range (£) 
			 General Manager 1 43,820-63,540 
			 General Manager 2 38,500-55,720 
			 General Manager 3 34,740-50,400 
		
	
	
		
			  Senior managers pay grades 
			  Spine point  Flat rate salary (£) 
			 1 (max) 48,820 
			 30 (min) 15,650 
		
	
	Managers and senior managers in 2007 would be on a combination of Agenda for Change, typically band 5 to 9, and Very Senior Managers Pay Framework rates. These are set out as follows.
	Very Senior Managers' Pay Framework only covers strategic health authorities, special health authorities, primary care trusts and ambulance trusts. NHS trusts, including mental health trusts and foundation trusts, are not covered by the framework.
	
		
			  Agenda for Change grades 5 to 9 
			   Grade 
			   5  6  7  8 (8A to 8D)  9 
			  1 April 2007  
			 Minimum 19,454 23,230 28,036 35,760 70,974 
			 Maximum 25,175 31,469 36,962 74,381 89,723 
			   
			  1 November 2007  
			 Minimum 19,683 23,458 28,313 36,112 71,646 
			 Maximum 25,424 31,779 37,326 75,114 90,607 
		
	
	 Very Senior Managers' Pay Framework
	There is a "Pay framework for Very Senior Managers in Strategic and Special Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts and Ambulance Trusts". April 2007 rates of pay are published in the Framework, copies of which are available in the Library.

NHS: Pay

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 10 highest salaries paid by the NHS were in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect information on individuals' salaries across the national health service.
	There is a 'Pay framework for very senior managers in strategic and special health authorities, primary care trusts and ambulance trusts'. April 2007 rates of pay are published in the framework, copies of which are available in the Library.
	NHS trusts, including mental health and foundation trusts, are not covered by the framework, but are free to adopt its principles.

NHS: Reserve Forces

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of military medical reservists working in the NHS.

Derek Twigg: I have been asked to reply.
	None.

NHS: Reserve Forces

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on facilitating Territorial Army activity by NHS personnel; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: There is a long history of the national health service supporting the volunteer reserve forces (VRF). This is of benefit to the individual volunteer, the NHS and the armed forces. We are keen for the NHS to support staff who are interested in being members of the VRF and the Ministry of Defence/Health Departments Partnership Board is currently considering how best to promote this.

Nurses: Catheters

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visits on average a new user of  (a) an indwelling catheter and  (b) an intermittent catheter will receive from a specialist nurse within the first six months of receiving their prescription.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Nutrition: Fats

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has considered evidence from Denmark on the health effects of trans fats.

Dawn Primarolo: We have asked the Food Standards Agency to review the health impacts of trans fats and potential for action in light of the measures taken in New York and Denmark. As part of the review, the Agency has sought the advice of the United Kingdom's independent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which has examined the most recent evidence on the health implications of trans fats. The Agency will report back with their findings and recommendations by the end of the year.

Obesity: Surgery

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for bariatric surgery in England in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 4 December 2007
	The average (median) time waited for bariatric surgery in England during 2005-06 was 152 days.

Patients: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for the statement on page 19 of his Department's document, Improving Nutritional Care, that hospital food is now better than at any time since measurement began; in what ways the quality of hospital food is measured; when measurement began; and if he will list the results of these measurements for each year since measurement began.

Ann Keen: The statement that hospital food is now better than at any time since measurement began is based on the results of Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) assessments. These assessments commenced in 2002 and the results are published annually. The areas considered in the PEAT assessment have varied over the years, but have always included a core of questions related to the quality, availability and choice and temperature of food and beverages. The following tables show the PEAT scores for England from 2002-07; the scoring system changed in 2004 from three to five points.
	
		
			   Green (good)  Percentage  Yellow (acceptable)  Percentage  Red (poor)  Percentage 
			 Summer 2002 118 17 554 81 14 2 
			 Summer 2003 372 43.7 479 56.3 0 0. 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Excellent  Good  Acceptable  Poor  Unacceptable 
			 2004 8.18 50.35 34.68 6.78 0 
			 2005 32.43 51.5 14.8 1.3 0 
			 2006 33.8 57.8 8.3 0.1 0 
			 2007 46.3 48.5 4.5 0.5 0 
			  Source: National Patient Safety Agency

Prescriptions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Information Centre for Health and Social Care has made in its project analysing patterns of prescribing and compliance with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, as stated on the Our Priorities for 2007-08 section of the Information Centre's website; whether the Information Centre provides a  (a) data and  (b) analytical service to any bodies other than NICE on prescribing behaviours; whether data on prescribing behaviours are made available at (i) doctor, (ii) practice and (iii) primary care trust level; whether the Information Centre has extended its data and analytical service to information on dispensing; what plans the Information Centre has to increase the (A) scope of and (B) availability of access to data on prescribing; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Information Centre for health and Social Care (IC) provides a data and analytical service that enables National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) systematically to analyse prescribing behaviours in the context of their guidelines. This work has been integrated as a routine business service to NICE.
	The IC also provides on request prescribing data from the prescribing cost analysis database and from a national edition of the ePACT system. Information from these sources is also made available to a wide range of bodies via its website.
	Some prescribing data are available at primary care trust level, but not at doctor or practice level.
	There is a project underway, led by the IC, to obtain data on a sample of practices to estimate the proportion of prescriptions which are not dispensed.
	The IC is currently reviewing which data on prescribing should be made available in the future.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to raise patients' awareness of prescription prepayment certificates.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has a portfolio of publicity material about prescription charges which is managed by the Prescription Pricing Division of the National Health Service Business Services Authority. This material includes a poster advertising prescription prepayment certificates. Periodically, the Prescription Pricing Division includes the poster in its regular mailing pack sent to all pharmacies, general practitioner (GP) dispensing practices and all other GP practices. The Prescription Pricing Division also carries out further promotional activities when the opportunity arises. In addition, the Department currently has a contract with the waiting room information services which supplies stocks of leaflets to participating GP surgeries.
	The prescription form tear off section also provides information about prepayment certificates and help with the cost of prescription charges.

Radiography: Manpower

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many radiographers are employed by the NHS in England.

Ann Keen: The latest published workforce census showed there were 14,564 qualified therapeutic and diagnostic radiographers working in the national health service in England, an increase of 2,793 (24 per cent.) since September 1997.

Radiography: Manpower

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of radiographers required by the NHS in order to meet the Government's targets on screening.

Ann Keen: With regard to radiotherapy, the cancer reform strategy has committed an investment of £130 million in new equipment and staff. Workforce planning is a matter for local determination, as local planners are best placed to assess the radiography needs of their local populations. The Department continues to ensure effective planning frameworks are in place.

Screening: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much additional funding has been allocated for each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11 to  (a) extend the breast cancer screening age range to women aged between 43 and 73 years,  (b) extend the age limit for bowel cancer screening to 75 years,  (c) ensure that all patients will be receiving appointments with a specialist within two weeks for breast problems,  (d) ensure that all cervical screening results will be available within 14 days and  (e) increase the number of matrons to 5,000;
	(2)  by what date he expects that  (a) all patients will be receiving appointments with a specialist within two weeks for breast problems,  (b) all cervical screening results will be available within 14 days,  (c) breast cancer screening will be fully extended to all women between the ages of 43 and 73 years and  (d) the number of matrons have reached 5,000.

Ann Keen: In September, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced proposals for cancer services, extending the breast cancer screening age range to women aged between 47 and 73, extending the age limit for bowel cancer screening to 75 years, ensuring that all patients will be receiving appointments with a specialist within two weeks for breast problems and ensuring that all cervical screening results will be available within 14 days, and proposals to increase the number of matrons to 5,000 to help tackle healthcare-associated infections.
	The Cancer Reform Strategy was published on 3 December and is available in the Library. It sets out the future direction of cancer services in England over the next five years. The strategy provides further information on the commitments made by the Prime Minister. We anticipate there being 5,000 matrons in post by May 2008.
	Allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) provide them with funding to deliver all local and national priorities, and are not broken down into the cost of delivering individual commitments. The cost of delivering individual commitments will depend on local decisions on implementation.

Slimming: Finance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which slimming clubs the Government are employing to help reduce obesity; how much has been paid to them to date; and what estimate has been made of the number of people who have  (a) used their services and  (b) lost weight as a result of doing so.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government do not employ any slimming clubs to help reduce obesity. It is up to local areas to decide the best types of treatments to provide for their own populations, in line with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children.

Smoking: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much was  (a) allocated to and  (b) spent by primary care trusts for stop smoking services in each of the last five financial years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how much his Department plans to allocate to primary care trusts for stop smoking services in each year from 2007-08 to 2010-11.

Dawn Primarolo: The amounts separately identified in primary care trusts (PCTs) initial resource limit allocations for the national health service stop smoking services are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2003-04 41 
			 2004-05 46 
			 2005-06 51 
			 2006-07 51 
			 2007-08 51 
		
	
	In addition, the 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations to PCTs separately identify funding to support the implementation of the 'Choosing Health' White Paper. For the two years covered by this allocation, £10 million is separately identified nationally to further support the provision of NHS stop smoking services, with the majority of the funding directed towards Spearhead PCTs.
	Revenue allocations are made to PCTs which then decide how to use the funding. The Department does not centrally collect information on local spend by PCT for NHS stop smoking services.
	Revenue allocations to PCTs post 2007-08 are to be determined. As set out in a written statement by the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) on 22 November 2007,  Official Report, column 145WS, there is to be a one-year allocation for 2008-09.

Social Services: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings he had with HM Treasury officials to discuss the settlement for social care in the comprehensive spending review; at which of those meetings the subject of payment for long-term care was discussed; and if he will publish the minutes of those meetings.

Ivan Lewis: There were a number of meetings between HM Treasury and departmental Ministers, and between HM Treasury and departmental officials over the course of the 2007 comprehensive spending review. These meetings involved discussions on a range of issues, including social care. It is the Government's policy not to publish details of comprehensive spending review meetings.

Stem Cells: Research

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to increase (i) usage of and (ii) research into cord blood stem cells; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The United Kingdom Government wish to see research using all sources of stem cells, including adult, umbilical cord and embryonic stem cells and have a long history in supporting such work through funding and a well established, facilitating regulatory system. Policy on the use of and research into stem cells is kept under regular review. The Government are considering a number of new initiatives in light of developments as part of the "10 year UK Stem Cell Initiative" published in 2005.

Strokes: Health Services

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce the new stroke strategy.

Ann Keen: The new national stroke strategy was announced and published on the 5 December 2007. A copy is available in the Library.

Waiting Lists: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was in Wirral West constituency between GP referral and hospital consultation in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the requested format. In September 2007, the average median waiting time for patients in the Wirral Primary Care Trust area waiting for a first outpatient appointment was 2.7 weeks.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) 10 to 13,  (b) 14 to 15 and  (c) 16 to 17 year olds were (i) cautioned, (ii) prosecuted and (iii) given a penalty notice for disorder for purchasing alcohol under age in each of the last three years for which information is available, broken down by (A) police force area and (B) local authority area;
	(2)  how many people were  (a) cautioned,  (b) prosecuted and  (c) given a penalty notice for disorder for selling alcohol to young people under the age of 18 on (i) premises and (ii) off premises in each of the last three years for which information is available, broken down by (A) police force area and (B) local authority area.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested on prosecutions, cautions and penalty notices for the years 2004-06 are provided in the table. Data broken down by local authority area are not held by the Ministry of Justice.
	The information requested on prosecutions, cautions and penalty notices for disorder issued for selling alcohol to persons under 18, broken down by police force area are provided in the table. It is not possible to identify from the data whether these sales were on or off licensed premises.
	Data broken down by local authority area are not held by the Ministry of Justice.
	
		
			  Number of defendants aged 10 to 17 proceeded against at magistrates courts, offenders cautioned and the number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDS) issued for purchasing alcohol illegally, by age group and police force area, England and Wales, 2004 to 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			  Police force area  10-13  14-15  16-17  10-13  14-15  16-17  10-13  14-15  16-17 
			 Cheshire — — — — — — — — — 
			 Cleveland — — 1 — — — — — — 
			 Cumbria — — 1 — — — — — 2 
			 Devon and Cornwall — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Dorset — — — — — — — — — 
			 Durham — — — — — — — 1 — 
			 Essex — — 1 — — — — — — 
			 Gloucestershire — — — — — — — — — 
			 Greater Manchester — — — — — 1 — — — 
			 Hampshire — — 2 — — 3 — 1 — 
			 Hertfordshire — — — — — — — — — 
			 Humberside — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Kent — — — — — 1 — — — 
			 Lancashire — — 1 — — — — — — 
			 Lincolnshire — — — — — — — — — 
			 Merseyside — 1 1 — — 1 — — — 
			 North Yorkshire — — — — — 2 — — — 
			 Northumbria — — — — — 3 — — 3 
			 South Yorkshire — — — — — — — — — 
			 Staffordshire — — 1 — — — — — — 
			 Surrey — — — — — — — — — 
			 Sussex — — — — — — — — — 
			 Thames Valley — — — — — 1 — — — 
			 West Mercia — — — — — — — — — 
			 Wiltshire — — — — — — — — — 
			   
			 Dyfed-Powys — — — — — — — — — 
			 Gwent — — — — — 1 — — — 
			 North Wales — — — — — — — — 1 
			 South Wales — — — — — 1 — — — 
			   
			 British transport police — — — — — — — — — 
			   
			 England and Wales — 1 9 — — 14 — 2 8 
		
	
	
		
			   Offenders cautioned  PNDs issued( 5) 
			   2004  2005  2006  2005  2006 
			  Police force area  10-13  14-15  16-17  10-13  14-15  16-17  10-13  14-15  16-17  16-17  16-17 
			 Cheshire — — — — — — — — 1 — — 
			 Cleveland — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Cumbria — 2 9 — 1 4 — — 1 — 4 
			 Devon and Cornwall — — — — — — — — — — 3 
			 Dorset — — — — — — — — 1 — — 
			 Durham — — — — — — — — 1 — — 
			 Essex — — — — — — — — — 1 — 
			 Gloucestershire — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Greater Manchester — — — — — — — — — 1 — 
			 Hampshire — — 1 — — — — — 1 — 1 
			 Hertfordshire — — — — — — — — — — 13 
			 Humberside — — — — — — — — — 1 2 
			 Kent — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Lancashire — — — — — — — — — 2 9 
			 Lincolnshire — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Merseyside — — 4 — — — — — — 5 7 
			 North Yorkshire — — 2 — — — — — 2 — 1 
			 Northumbria — 1 2 — 2 7 — 1 1 1 2 
			 South Yorkshire — 1 — — — 1 — 1 — — — 
			 Staffordshire — — — — — 2 — 1 — — 7 
			 Surrey — — — — — 1 — — 1 — 1 
			 Sussex — — — — 1 — — — — 5 3 
			 Thames Valley — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 West Mercia — 3 2 — — — 1 — — — 2 
			 Wiltshire — — — — 3 — — — — — — 
			 
			 Dyfed-Powys — — 5 — — — — — — — — 
			 Gwent — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 North Wales — — — — — — — — — 1 2 
			 South Wales — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 British transport police — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 
			 England and Wales — 7 25 — 7 15 1 3 9 17 62 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000, the Crime and Disorder Act removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. (2) These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Where no defendants were proceeded against, cautioned or issued with a PND for illegal alcohol purchasing in a police force, it has been omitted from the table. (5) The offence of illegal purchasing of alcohol by an under-age person was added to the penalty notice for disorder scheme on the 4 April 2005. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded at magistrates courts and the number of penalty notices for disorder issued for offences related to the illegal sale of alcohol to persons aged under 18, 2004 to 2006( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Defendants proceeded against  Offenders cautioned  Penalty notices for disorder issued( 4) 
			  Police force area  2004  2005  2006  2004  2005  2006  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset — 14 5 7 — — — 56 54 
			 Bedfordshire 7 10 24 — — — — 2 13 
			 Cambridgeshire 4 9 27 — — — — 11 29 
			 Cheshire 20 8 6 2 7 3 — 49 50 
			 Cleveland 10 14 11 2 3 5 — 33 23 
			 Cumbria 1 8 1 5 8 3 — 23 21 
			 Derbyshire 22 13 8 — — —  8 30 
			 Devon and Cornwall 12 8 6 — — 4 — 82 115 
			 Dorset 10 35 7 4 12 4 22 22 29 
			 Durham 2 2 — — — — — — 1 
			 Essex 2 8 16 5 2 2 7 120 94 
			 Gloucestershire 1 5 10 — — — — 42 54 
			 Greater Manchester 180 117 160 — — 1 — 127 211 
			 Hampshire 9 11 2 1 — 1 2 67 109 
			 Hertfordshire 8 3 40 — — 1 — 3 41 
			 Humberside 11 2 6 — — — 2 45 48 
			 Kent 15 14 2 — — — — 10 5 
			 Lancashire 22 89 32 24 15 7 30 190 206 
			 Leicestershire 10 27 45 7 2 — 2 46 59 
			 Lincolnshire 4 11 10 — — — — 26 57 
			 Merseyside 19 16 34 11 4 13 2 73 127 
			 Metropolitan Police 167 253 236 — — — 21 161 252 
			 Norfolk 9 3 — — — — — — 10 
			 North Yorkshire 22 3 68 — 1 — — — 11 
			 Northamptonshire — 11 13 — 1 — 1 39 34 
			 Northumbria 51 79 41 1 — 3 1 48 84 
			 Nottinghamshire — 11 37 — — — 9 117 265 
			 South Yorkshire 5 18 10 35 25 8 2 107 158 
			 Staffordshire 5 20 23 7 11 2 — 19 75 
			 Suffolk 1 3 4 — — — — 19 21 
			 Surrey 10 13 18 2 1 — — — 34 
			 Sussex 4 4 33 — 1 — — 63 216 
			 Thames Valley 28 15 36 — — 2 — 12 95 
			 Warwickshire 26 7 2 — — — — 3 5 
			 West Mercia 5 19 10 1 1 1 1 22 34 
			 West Midlands 45 76 74 — — — 6 114 143 
			 West Yorkshire 21 15 17 — 1 — 4 72 105 
			 Wiltshire 10 23 10 — — — — 8 18 
			   
			 Dyfed-Powys 24 6 18 2 3 — — 18 9 
			 Gwent 20 16 21 — 4 — — 20 50 
			 North Wales 5 10 4 — — — 1 58 83 
			 South Wales 34 55 72 — — 1 — 123 117 
			   
			 England and Wales 861 1,084 1,199 116 102 61 113 2,058 3,195 
			 (1) Prosecutions data are provided on the principal offence basis. PND data are a count on PND tickets issued. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Covers offences under the following statutes. The Licensing Act 1964 S.169 A & B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1, the Licensing Act 1964 S.181 A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 S.17 and the Licensing Act 2003 S.146 and 147, which came into effect from 24 November 2005, so data prior to 2005 is not available. (4) PND data covers the offence of sale of alcohol to a person under 18 under the Licensing act 2003 S.126  Sources: RDS Court proceedings database Office for Criminal Justice Reform Ministry of Justice.

Asylum Seekers Dispersal Programme

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which local authorities asylum seekers were dispersed to in 2006 under the asylum seekers dispersal programme; and how many asylum seekers were dispersed to each local authority in the programme.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows the local authorities that asylum seekers were dispersed to as at the end of December 2006 under the asylum seekers dispersal programme; and how many asylum seekers were dispersed to each local authority in the programme.
	The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support, broken down by Government office region and local authority, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	Further breakdowns of those in receipt of support, by parliamentary constituency, are also available from the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Asylum seekers supported in dispersed accommodation( 1,2,3)  by local authority and UK Government office region, as at the end of December 2006 
			  Number of applicants (including dependants) 
			  Region  Local authority( 4)  Dispersed  Disbenefited( 5)  Total 
			  England 
			  North East Darlington 40 — 40 
			  Gateshead 365 — 365 
			  Hartlepool 5 — 5 
			  Middlesbrough 605 — 605 
			  Newcastle upon Tyne 1,245 — 1,245 
			  North Tyneside 215 — 215 
			  Redcar and Cleveland 100 — 100 
			  South Tyneside 140 — 140 
			  Stockton-on-Tees 360 — 360 
			  Sunderland 280 — 280 
			  Total 3,360 — 3,360 
			  
			  North West Blackburn with Darwen 495 — 495 
			  Bolton 545 — 545 
			  Bury 510 — 510 
			  Hyndburn 10 — 10 
			  Liverpool 810 — 810 
			  Macclesfield 10 — 10 
			  Manchester 1,355 — 1,355 
			  Oldham 480 — 480 
			  Rochdale 405 — 405 
			  Salford 945 — 945 
			  Sefton 15 — 15 
			  Stockport 165 — 165 
			  Tameside 235 — 235 
			  Trafford 30 — 30 
			  Wigan 510 — 510 
			  Total 6,515 — 6,515 
			  
			  Yorkshire and the Humber Barnsley 525 — 525 
			  Bradford 740 — 740 
			  Calderdale 235 — 235 
			  Doncaster 665 — 665 
			  Kingston upon Hull 455 — 455 
			  Kirklees 790 — 790 
			  Leeds 2,035 5 2,040 
			  North East Lincolnshire 50 — 50 
			  Rotherham 780 — 780 
			  Sheffield 1,060 — 1,060 
			  Wakefield 400 — 400 
			  Total 7,745 5 7,750 
			  
			  East Midlands Blaby 5 — 5 
			  Broxtowe 5 — 5 
			  Derby 425 — 425 
			  Gedling 15 — 15 
			  Leicester 695 — 695 
			  Nottingham 1,110 — 1,110 
			  Rushcliffe 5 — 5 
			  Total 2,255 — 2,255 
			  
			  West Midlands Birmingham 1,835 — 1,835 
			  Coventry 795 — 795 
			  Dudley 655 — 655 
			  Newcastle-under-Lyme 30 — 30 
			  Sandwell 425 — 425 
			  Solihull 5 — 5 
			  Stoke-on-Trent 685 — 685 
			  Walsall 160 — 160 
			  Wolverhampton 805 — 805 
			  Total 5,395 — 5,395 
			  
			  East of England Broadland 5 — 5 
			  Colchester * — * 
			  Epping Forest 25 — 25 
			  Hertsmere 5 — 5 
			  Ipswich 10 — 10 
			  Luton 40 5 45 
			  Norwich 150 — 150 
			  Peterborough 205 — 205 
			  Southend-on-Sea 5 — 5 
			  Tendring 5 — 5 
			  Watford 5 — 5 
			  Total 450 5 455 
			  
			  Greater London Barking and Dagenham 55 — 55 
			  Barnet 15 — 15 
			  Bexley 5 — 5 
			  Brent 5 — 5 
			  Bromley 10 — 10 
			  Camden * — * 
			  Croydon 55 5 55 
			  Ealing 15 — 15 
			  Enfield 225 10 235 
			  Greenwich * — * 
			  Hackney 70 5 70 
			  Hammersmith and Fulham 5 5 5 
			  Haringey 370 — 370 
			  Harrow 15 10 25 
			  Havering 5 — 5 
			  Hillingdon 25 — 25 
			  Hounslow 55 — 55 
			  Islington 40 * 45 
			  Kingston upon Thames — 5 5 
			  Lambeth 80 5 85 
			  Lewisham 25 — 25 
			  Merton 15 — 15 
			  Newham 50 * 55 
			  Redbridge 90 5 95 
			  Richmond upon Thames 5 — 5 
			  Southwark 15 — 15 
			  Sutton — 5 5 
			  Tower Hamlets 10 — 10 
			  Waltham Forest 45 5 50 
			  Wandsworth 10 — 10 
			  Total 1,325 50 1,370 
			  
			  South East Brighton and Hove 20 — 20 
			  Canterbury 5 — 5 
			  Dartford 5 — 5 
			  Hastings 65 — 65 
			  Oxford 5 — 5 
			  Portsmouth 410 — 410 
			  Reading 5 — 5 
			  Southampton 5 — 5 
			  Total 520 — 520 
			  
			  South Wes t Bristol 370 — 370 
			  Gloucester 125 — 125 
			  Plymouth 365 — 365 
			  South Gloucestershire 70 — 70 
			  Swindon 170 — 170 
			  Total 1,105 — 1,105 
			  
			  Total (England) 28,665 60 28,725 
			  
			  Wales Cardiff 1,175 — 1,175 
			  Newport 440 — 440 
			  Swansea 865 — 865 
			  Wrexham 45 — 45 
			  Total 2,525 — 2,525 
			  
			  Scotland Glasgow City 5,010 — 5,010 
			  Total 5,010 — 5,010 
			  
			  Ireland Belfast 160 — 160 
			  Coleraine * — * 
			  Lisburn 5 — 5 
			  Total 165 — 165 
			  
			  Total (United Kingdom) 36,365 60 36,420 
			 (1) Provisional figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest 5 with * = 1 or 2. (2) Excludes unaccompanied asylum seeking children supported by local authorities, estimated around 5,700 in September 2006. Excludes cases that pre-date the establishment of the asylum support system in April 2000, administered by local authorities under the interim provisions, estimated at up to 50 cases in December 2006. (3) Excludes those in initial accommodation, 1,525 as at the end of December 2006. (4) Only those local authorities where dispersed or disbenefited cases are resident are shown. (5 )Disbenefited cases are cases which were previously supported under the main UK benefits system and have been moved onto asylum support. Some of these cases have remained in the original social services accommodation.

British Standards Institute

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British Standards Institute kitemarks for internet content control software had been issued and to whom pursuant to the initiative announced by her Department in December 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The British Standards Institute kitemark will be launched in early 2008, and once it is launched companies will be able to apply for it. The Government welcomes the work done by all parties to develop the standard, and encourages companies to apply for it once launched.

Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many offences were recorded per 1,000 population in England and Wales in each year since 1997,  (a) in total,  (b) of violence against the person,  (c) of sexual offences,  (d) of robbery, burglary, theft and handling stolen goods,  (e) of fraud,  (f) of criminal damage and  (g) of other notifiable offences, broken down by police force area;
	(2)  how many  (a) violent crime offences,  (b) car crime offences,  (c) robberies,  (d) burglaries,  (e) thefts and  (f) criminal damage offences there were per 1,000 head of population in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Data broken down by police force area for these offences are available from 2001-02 and are given in tables. Copies will be placed in the House Library.
	As a result of the findings of two independent reviews of crime statistics in 2006, a number of changes have been made to the classifications of offences. Therefore all of the offence categories shown are based on the new classifications. Providing data for earlier years, where the requested data are not held on an electronic database, would entail disproportionate cost.

Departmental Reorganisation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the cost to her Department associated with reorganising her Department and creating the Ministry of Justice.

Jacqui Smith: Any costs incurred by the Home Office as a result of the creation of the Ministry of Justice and any subsequent reorganisation of the Department have been minimal.

Extradition: USA

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations her Department has made to the US authorities in the last 12 months on the time taken to bring the three extradited former NatWest bankers to trial.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office has made no representations to the US authorities. The trial date is a matter for the parties and the US judicial authorities.

Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to establish safe houses to which trafficked children discovered by police may be conducted.

Vernon Coaker: Any child found by the police whom they consider to be at risk of harm, are referred to local authority children services who have a statutory duty under the 1989 Children Act to ensure that their safeguarding and welfare needs are addressed.
	As part of their action plan on tackling human trafficking, the Government will be shortly publishing their proposals for enhancing the provision of safe and sensitive arrangements for the care and protection of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, some of whom may have been trafficked.

Identity Cards: Contracts

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what break clauses have been included in contracts  (a) agreed and  (b) under negotiation in draft form on identity cards.

Jacqui Smith: IPS is four months into a nine month procurement process for the National Identity Scheme Strategic Supplier Framework. Once this agreement is in place, further 'mini-competition' procurements lasting six to nine months will be conducted for specific contracts.
	As part of the process IPS is in discussion on many detailed commercial principles (over 150) that will inform the eventual contracts put to bidders. These include principles on approaches to breaking contracts, however discussions are ongoing and no contract clauses have yet been provided to bidders.

Personation: Publicity

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent in 2007 by her Department on  (a) newspaper and print media,  (b) online,  (c) radio,  (d) television and  (e) other advertising to raise public awareness on identity fraud, and to advise on methods of preventing identity theft.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 6 December 2007
	The Home Office established the Identity Fraud Steering Committee (IFSC) in 2003 to work with public and private sector organisations, to identify and implement cost-effective measures to counter identity fraud, and to co-ordinate activity in this area.
	The IFSC established an identity theft website:
	www.identitytheft.org.uk
	which provides advice to the public on how to minimise the chance of becoming a victim of identity fraud, warning signs to look out for, and help for victims. Home Office expenditure on the website in 2007 is nil.
	The IFSC also produced an identity theft leaflet and poster. Over 13 million leaflets have been distributed since September 2005. Home Office expenditure for printing leaflets and posters in 2007 is £11,000. No expenditure has been incurred through other media channels.

Police: Ethnic Groups

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police force recruits were  (a) men,  (b) women,  (c) black and minority ethnic men and  (d) black and minority ethnic women in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 4 December 2007
	The requested data are for police officer joiners, and are published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series "Police Service Strength, England and Wales" which are available online and in the Library of the House.
	The available data are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion( 1)  of police officer joiners( 2)  by gender and ethnicity( 3)  as at 31 March 1998-2007 
			  Percentage 
			  Date as at 31 March  Male  Female  Minority ethnic male  Minority ethnic female 
			 1998 73.2 26.8 n/a n/a 
			 1999 74.2 25.8 n/a n/a 
			 2000 72.3 27.7 n/a n/a 
			 2001 73.5 26.5 n/a n/a 
			 2002 73.2 26.8 n/a n/a 
			 2003 75.6 24.4 n/a n/a 
			 2004 69.8 30.2 5.0 1.5 
			 2005 67.8 32.2 4.0 1.8 
			 2006 67.4 32.6 3.7 1.7 
			 2007 65.2 34.8 4.0 1.9 
			 n/a = not available (1) Based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between the totals and the sums of constituent items. (2) Joiners include transfers from other England and Wales forces, but does not include those officers returning after a period of secondment. (3) Minority ethnic officers only, does not include those officers whose ethnicity is listed as "not stated". Ethnicity data are not available prior to 2003/04.

Pornography: Internet

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures taken by internet service providers offering broadband connections to prevent access to images of child abuse.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are very grateful to all ISPs that have implemented measures to block child abuse images. The great majority of consumer broadband connections are now covered, and I would like to encourage those ISPs that have not already done so to take the necessary action.

Stop and Search

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many searches of  (a) persons and  (b) vehicles under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 were carried out by each police force in each year since 1997; and how many arrests for (i) possession of offensive weapons and (ii) other reasons resulted.

Vernon Coaker: The available information held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the period 1998-99 to 2005-06 is in tables. Copies will be placed in the House Library.
	Information on searches of 'persons' and 'vehicles only' cannot be separately identified prior to 1998-99.

Telephone Tapping

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations are entitled to access data on telephone calls made in the UK.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 November 2007
	 Public authorities able to obtain communications data using the provisions of section 22 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 are set out in section 25(1) of that Act and in orders made under section 25(1)(g).
	Those orders are the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) Order 2003 (Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 3172), the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) (Amendment) Order 2005 (Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 1083) and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Communications Data) (Additional Functions and Amendment) Order 2006 (Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 1878).
	In relation to telephone calls, communications data includes information about the use of telephone services, such as billing records, and about the users of services, such as identifying the subscriber of a telephone number and their address. It excludes the content of phone calls and what individuals say or what data they pass on. Lawful interception of communications content can be authorised only by a warrant issued by the Secretary of State under section 5 of the 2000 Act or in other very specific circumstances permitted by sections 3 and 4 of that Act.

Terrorism

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss counter-terrorism policy; and what discussions she has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions on revising counter-terrorism legislation.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has not met the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss counter-terrorism-related issues since she took office in June 2007. However, we have undertaken an extensive consultation on proposals for forthcoming counter-terrorism legislation and this approach has been widely welcomed. The Director of Public Prosecutions has been involved in discussions at official level on issues relating to counter-terrorism legislation.

Terrorism

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what remuneration was received by Lord Carlile of Berriew QC for his role of independent reviewer of terrorism legislation in each year since his appointment.

Jacqui Smith: Lord Carlile of Berriew received a daily rate of £452 in 2001 for his role of independent reviewer of terrorism legislation. This has increased since then to the current daily rate of £900.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Adult Education: Elderly

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to make future provision for people aged 65 and over to receive concessions for adult education courses.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	We recognise the importance of adult learning in meeting a range of personal, social and community needs and we know how much people, particularly older learners, value and enjoy their courses. The Government remain fully committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all learners and that learning serves the needs of the whole community, including older people both within and outside the work force.
	Fee concessions for people aged 65 and over are at the discretion of individual providers. I must make clear that the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 do not bar providers from offering fee discounts for learners aged 65 and over. They allow for such positive action provided that it can be objectively justified.
	I refer the hon. Member to my written statement on 16 May 2007,  Official Report, column 35WS.

Adult Education: Elderly

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued to local authorities on the effect of the provisions of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 on concessionary fees for adult education courses for people aged 65 years and over.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	We are committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all learners, and that learning serves the needs of the whole community, including older people both within and outside the work force. Our strategy for World Class Skills and our reforms of wider adult learning are designed to ensure that everyone, whatever their age or background, has the opportunity to improve their skills, prospects and quality of life.
	I must make clear that the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 do not bar providers from offering fee discounts for learners aged 65 and over. They allow for such positive action provided that it can be objectively justified. I refer the hon. Member to my written statement on 16 May 2007,  Official Report, column 35WS.

Children in Care: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) targets and  (b) best value performance indicators (i) have been and (ii) are set and recorded for local authorities in relation to the number of children in care.

John Healey: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not, and has not in the past, set targets or best value performance indicators in relation to the number of children in care.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: With regard to Christmas cards, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Hands) on 1 February 2006,  Official Report, column 495W, to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Phil Hope) to the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) on 21 December 2004,  Official Report, column 1558W and to the reply given by the former Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Djanogly) on 19 December 2002,  Official Report, column 948W. The figure for 2006 was £1,802.80 plus VAT.
	The other information requested could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Elections: Bedfordshire

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to her answer of 25 October to Written Questions 160879 and 160880, on Elections: Bedfordshire, when she will take final decisions on the structural arrangements in Bedfordshire; and whether, as a consequence, there are to be district, town and parish elections in 2008.

John Healey: On 19 November, we issued the Invitation to councils in Bedfordshire to make proposals for unitary solutions for the rest of Bedfordshire, following my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's decision of 25 July, and further confirmed on 5 December, that she is minded to implement Bedford borough council's proposal, subject to their being suitable arrangements for the rest of the county. We will take final decisions on the structural arrangements in Bedfordshire as soon as practicable following receipt and analysis of those responses.
	Any decisions on elections will be made as part of the final decisions on the structural arrangements for Bedfordshire.

Fire Services: Contracts

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for contracts to be finalised for the  (a) FireControl and  (b) Firelink projects.

Parmjit Dhanda: The FiReControl contract was signed on 30 March 2007. The Firelink contract was signed on 29 March 2006 and extended to include Scotland and Wales in June 2006.

Fire Services: Contracts

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the minimum contractual periods are of the contracts for the  (a) FireControl and  (b) Firelink projects; and whether the contracts allow for early termination of the agreements.

Parmjit Dhanda: The minimum contract term for FiReControl is eight years (expires 30 March 2015). There are standard termination clauses, either in event of contractors' default of 12 months notice by the Department.
	The contractual period for the Firelink contract is 10 years nine months. There is provision within the agreement for early termination of the contract by the Department.

Legislation: Commencement

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the implementation of the provisions of  (a) the Greater London Authority Act 2007 and  (b) the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

John Healey: The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 enables commitments in the local government White Paper "Strong and Prosperous Communities" to be delivered. Section 245 of the Act sets out which provisions were commenced at Royal Assent on 30 October 2007, and which will commence on 30 December 2007. All remaining provisions will be commenced by Order. One commencement order has been made so far. This brought Part 1 into force on 1 November 2007. The intention is to make several such orders to fit the planned timetable for implementing relevant policies. The latest version of the White Paper "Implementation Plan" was published on 1 November.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress her Department has made in discussions with housebuilders and manufacturers of building materials on the development of new materials for the construction of zero-carbon housing.

Iain Wright: Through the 2016 taskforce, we are having constructive discussions with the Home Builders Federation and the Construction Products Association, the latter which represents the UK's manufacturers and suppliers of construction products components and fittings. The 2016 taskforce is looking to identify the barriers to implementation of the zero carbon 2016 target, and will put in place measures to address them.

Local Authorities: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) targets and  (b) performance indicators English Partnerships and its successor agency are developing for local authorities.

Iain Wright: English Partnerships is governed by nationally agreed policy objectives, priorities and performance targets. Its programme is delivered through a portfolio of local area-based projects, each focused on the specific local needs but which take into account regional and local objectives/priorities.
	English Partnerships has no authority or powers to impose performance indicators and targets on local authorities.
	The Homes and Communities Agency will be a partner authority for local authorities with regard to local area agreements and local improvement targets.

Local Government Executive: Referendums

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many referendums have taken place on whether to establish an elected mayor since 1997.

John Healey: Since 1997 there have been 35 referendums held by local authorities in England on whether a directly elected mayoral model should be adopted. In 1998 a referendum was held on whether there should be an elected mayor for London. In Wales, where local government matters are devolved to the National Assembly for Wales, there has been one such referendum.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much and what proportion of total Government grant to local authorities in England was ring-fenced in  (a) 1997-98 and  (b) 2007-08.

John Healey: Excluding funding for schools, the level of ring-fencing in 1997-98 was 4.4 per cent. On a comparable basis, the level of ring-fencing in 2007-08 is 10.5 per cent.

Local Government Finance: Community Policing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the local authorities which received central government funding for community/neighbourhood wardens are funding warden schemes since the ending of central funding.

John Healey: Support for warden schemes has now been pooled within local area agreements, which focus on achieving a series of public service outcomes agreed between central and local government. Information is not collected at the centre about the number and type of schemes that are being supported through LAAs.

Local Government: Ipswich

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the local government restructuring in Ipswich, including the passage of secondary legislation.

John Healey: In the written ministerial statement I made to the House on 5 December 2007,  Official  Report, columns 65-69WS, I announced that we intend to ask the Boundary Committee to provide advice on Ipswich Borough council's unitary proposal under section 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
	We are aiming to issue our terms of reference, including a proposed timetable for its work, to the Boundary Committee to enable it to begin its review early in the new year.

Mortgages

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of how many and what proportion of first time buyers took out mortgages of 100 per cent. or more of the purchase price of the property in each year for which figures are available from 1997 to 2005.

Iain Wright: Data on first time buyers (FTBs) using a mortgage is available from the regulated mortgage survey which is supplied to communities and local government by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. As the survey is a sample, data on the exact number of FTBs is unavailable from this source. However we can derive proportions from the survey and applying these to the total number of FTBs in the UK, as published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, we can estimate the numbers.
	The number and proportion of first-time buyers in the UK that took out mortgages on a home to the value of 100 per cent or more is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of FTBs that took out mortgages of 100 per cent or more of the value of the property, UK 
			   Number  Proportion (percentage) 
			 1997 43,300 8.6 
			 1998 34,400 6.6 
			 1999 38,900 6.6 
			 2000 37,000 7.4 
			 2001 36,200 6.4 
			 2002 51,600 9.7 
			 2003 16,300 4.4 
			 2004 30,900 8.6 
			 2005 35,100 9.4 
			  Sources:  Regulated Mortgage Survey and the Council of Mortgage Lenders

Motorcycles: Noise

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will bring forward proposals to give local authorities more powers to enforce noise pollution legislation in relation to off-road scrambling in areas which are adjacent to residential areas.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	Under part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have a statutory duty to inspect their areas for existing, potential and recurring statutory nuisances from time to time. They are also required to take reasonable and practicable steps to investigate complaints of statutory nuisance and to issue an abatement notice where it is satisfied that a statutory nuisance exists, or may occur or recur. Local authorities may also seize noise-making equipment.
	Noise from off-road vehicles on premises can constitute a statutory nuisance. Premises can include land and beaches and, in the case of stationery vehicles, streets. Off-road vehicles can also be seized as noise-making equipment.
	A statutory nuisance materially affects someone's reasonable use of their home and/or is prejudicial to their health, as assessed by the local authority on a case-by-case basis.
	Off-road vehicles driven illegally or in a careless or anti-social manner (that is causing or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress) may be seized by the police under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 powers. A new guidance document was published in November 2005 and sent to all chief police officers.

Railways

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by her Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 3 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 1648-49W.

Regeneration: Finance

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what financial allocation has been made to the Working Neighbourhoods Fund for the next three years, split by local authority; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what allocation of Neighbourhood Renewal Fund was made in 2007-08, split by local authority; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 11 December 2007
	As I announced to the House on 6 December, £1.5 billion has been allocated to authorities to provide additional resources to tackle high levels of worklessness and low levels of enterprise. 66 local authority districts have qualified to receive an allocation under the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) and a further 21 authorities that currently receive Neighbourhood Renewal funding will receive two years transitional payments as they have not qualified for WNF. A full breakdown of allocations over the next three years is tabled as follows.
	
		
			   WNF allocation 
			  LA  n ame  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,424,308 1,608,297 1,652,559 
			 Barnsley 6,142,540 7,485,021 7,807,977 
			 Barrow-in-Furness 2,362,517 2,950,419 3,091,848 
			 Birmingham 34,117,370 39,505,342 40,801,509 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 3,813,706 4,585,094 4,770,664 
			 Blackpool 4,171,949 5,076,498 5,294,102 
			 Blyth Valley 1,000,000 1,163,804 1,252,900 
			 Bolsover 2,047,716 2,440,522 2,535,018 
			 Bolton 5,670,488 6,732,623 6,988,137 
			 Bradford 11,989,523 13,467,077 13,822,527 
			 Brent 2,393,293 2,872,122 2,987,313 
			 Burnley 2,150,837 2,559,916 2,658,326 
			 Camden 4,460,241 4,925,113 5,036,946 
			 Chesterfield 1,020,499 1,496,846 1,611,439 
			 Copeland 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 
			 Derwentside 1,997,329 2,361,450 2,449,045 
			 Doncaster 7,989,376 9,271,130 9,579,478 
			 Easington 6,342,307 7,603,428 7,906,812 
			 Gateshead 5,247,872 6,254,917 6,497,179 
			 Great Yarmouth 2,066,453 2,485,898 2,586,803 
			 Greenwich 4,538,965 5,169,844 5,321,613 
			 Hackney 12,037,270 13,146,173 13,412,939 
			 Halton 5,022,944 5,861,734 6,063,519 
			 Haringey 6,833,721 7,821,441 8,059,054 
			 Hartlepool 4,502,180 5,378,345 5,589,121 
			 Hastings 2,184,780 2,690,517 2,812,181 
			 Hyndburn 1,048,216 1,416,732 1,505,385 
			 Islington 6,608,388 7,289,659 7,453,551 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 11,441,948 13,185,756 13,605,259 
			 Knowsley 9,360,352 10,896,518 11,266,069 
			 Lambeth 3,351,144 3,755,055 3,852,223 
			 Leicester 7,476,516 8,802,087 9,120,975 
			 Liverpool 29,187,128 34,109,623 35,293,812 
			 Manchester 25,873,157 29,581,569 30,473,690 
			 Middlesbrough 7,420,872 8,532,694 8,800,162 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 8,285,970 9,825,625 10,196,015 
			 Newham 13,246,752 13,246,752 13,246,752 
			 North East Lincolnshire 3,935,360 4,489,778 4,623,152 
			 Nottingham 10,913,134 12,036,531 12,306,784 
			 Oldham 5,161,277 6,079,682 6,300,620 
			 Pendle 1,232,063 1,624,098 1,718,408 
			 Preston 2,621,383 3,139,097 3,263,642 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 3,894,365 4,756,472 4,963,867 
			 Rochdale 5,317,162 6,256,234 6,482,143 
			 Salford 8,692,991 10,143,772 10,492,781 
			 Sandwell 8,704,358 9,681,476 9,916,538 
			 Sedgefield 2,099,339 2,799,198 2,967,561 
			 Sefton 6,199,636 7,516,350 7,833,108 
			 Sheffield 11,259,780 13,282,727 13,769,380 
			 South Tyneside 7,124,500 8,386,996 8,690,711 
			 Southwark 7,086,778 7,361,823 7,427,990 
			 St. Helens 4,498,406 5,377,289 5,588,719 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 3,909,650 4,698,048 4,887,710 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 7,841,204 9,492,884 9,890,223 
			 Sunderland 8,589,944 10,455,641 10,904,466 
			 Tameside 3,433,239 4,276,961 4,479,933 
			 Thanet 1,003,105 1,471,333 1,583,973 
			 Tower Hamlets 10,279,197 11,005,124 11,179,758 
			 Walsall 5,444,081 6,389,562 6,617,013 
			 Wansbeck 2,315,917 2,868,222 3,001,088 
			 Wear Valley 2,157,765 2,510,949 2,595,913 
			 West Somerset 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 
			 Westminster 3,010,277 3,417,611 3,515,602 
			 Wigan 5,903,485 7,321,622 7,662,778 
			 Wirral 8,188,024 9,841,046 10,238,708 
			 Wolverhampton 6,113,889 7,307,406 7,594,527 
			507,900,000 
			 
			  Transitional Authorities
			 Barnet 600,000 240,000 0 
			 Brighton and Hove 1,260,358 504,143 0 
			 Bristol, City of 3,659,694 1,463,878 0 
			 Coventry 3,173,730 1,269,492 0 
			 Croydon 600,000 240,000 0 
			 Derby 2,581,150 1,032,460 0 
			 Dudley 1,103,423 441,369 0 
			 Ealing 830,677 332,271 0 
			 Enfield 892,605 357,042 0 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 600,000 240,000 0 
			 Kirklees 2,926,867 1,170,747 0 
			 Leeds 8,963,140 3,585,256 0 
			 Lewisham 1,177,203 470,881 0 
			 Mansfield 1,318,551 527,420 0 
			 North Tyneside 1,475,318 590,127 0 
			 Norwich 1,180,635 472,254 0 
			 Penwith 600,000 240,000 0 
			 Plymouth 1,695,425 678,170 0 
			 Rotherham 2,106,934 842,774 0 
			 Wakefield 2,669,677 1,067,871 0 
			 Waltham Forest 1,225,675 490,270 0 
			  464,400,000 507,800,000

Regional Planning and Development: East of England

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what further stages and consultations remain to be undertaken in relation to the East of England Regional Spatial Strategy before it is finalised.

Parmjit Dhanda: Following the current consultation on the Habitats Directive Assessment and Further Proposed Changes which ends on December 18, Ministers will consider the representations on the two sets of proposed changes and publish the final version of the Alterations to the Regional Spatial Strategy, incorporating any final changes to reflect consideration of the representations. The current timetable anticipates publication of the final alterations in early 2008.

Repairs and Maintenance: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by  (a) how many percentage points and  (b) how much the average management and maintenance allowances changed in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08.

Iain Wright: The changes in average management and maintenance allowances per dwelling are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Management and maintenance allowance  Difference (£)  Difference (percentage) 
			 2004-05 1,316.28 — — 
			 2005-06 1,461.52 +145.24 11.0 
			 2006-07 1,599.47 +137.95 9.4 
			 2007-08 1,660.01 +60.54 3.8

Safer Stronger Communities Fund

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding was made available via the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; what allocation is planned for 2008-09, split by local authority; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 11 December 2007
	Full details of the local authority split for 2008-09 can be found on the Communities and Local Government website. The overall allocation is £112,848,000.
	From 2008-09 funding that was previously paid through the Safer Stronger Communities Fund will be part of the Area Based Grant. Area Based Grant is a non-ringfenced general grant, which means local authorities are free to use the totality of the grant as they see fit to support the delivery of local, regional and national priorities in their areas, including the achievement of their new local area agreement targets.
	The overall SSCF allocations for English local authorities for previous years were as follows:
	
		
			   Overall SSCF allocations (£) 
			 2006-07 69,862,703 
			 2007-08 158,946,201

Stamp Duties

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of first time buyers in England purchased properties in the three or four per cent. stamp duty band in each of the last three years.

Iain Wright: Data on first time buyers (FTBs) using a mortgage is available from the Regulated Mortgage Survey which is supplied to Communities and Local Government by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. However, as the survey is a sample, data on the number of FTBs for England is unavailable. However we can still derive proportions.
	The proportion of first time buyers in England that purchased properties in the 3 and 4 per cent. stamp duty bands is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion of first time buyers that purchased properties in the 3 or 4 per cent. stamp duty hands, England 
			  Percentage 
			   3 per cent. stamp duty band  4 per cent. stamp duty band  3 or 4 per cent. stamp duty bands 
			 2004 5.6 0.9 6.4 
			 2005 5.7 0.7 6.4 
			 2006 6.6 0.8 7.4 
			  Source: Regulated Mortgage Survey

Supporting People Programme

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written statement of 6 December, on Supporting People, at what time the  (a) table of indicative Supporting People grant allocations and  (b) copy of the consultation response were placed in the Library.

Iain Wright: holding answer 11 December 2007
	In accordance with parliamentary guidance on Deposited Papers, the table of indicative Supporting People grant allocations and copy of the consultation response were sent electronically to the Libraries.
	The consultation response was sent at 1.08 pm; the table of indicative Supporting People grant allocations at 1.12 pm.

Travelling People

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many unauthorised Gypsy and Travellers'  (a) caravans and  (b) developments there were in each (i) January and (ii) July since 2001 in (A) England and (B) each government office region in England.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government publish data on the number of Gypsy and Traveller caravans on authorised public and private sites, and unauthorised encampments and developments twice yearly.
	The latest publication "Count of Gypsy Caravans on 19 July 2007: Last Five Counts" is available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingmanagementcare/gypsiesandtravellers/gypsyandtravellersitedataandstat/
	The following table shows the levels of unauthorised caravans, encampments and developments in England since 2001:
	
		
			NW  NE  EM  WM  Y and H  East  SE  SW  London  England 
			 January 2001 Total number of unauthorised caravans 76 43 191 207 117 993 443 387 146 2,603 
			  Unauthorised encampments 48 38 157 118 73 555 291 260 98 1,638 
			  Unauthorised developments 28 5 34 89 44 438 152 127 48 965 
			 
			 July 2001 Total number of unauthorised caravans 176 84 304 319 187 714 827 644 91 3,346 
			  Unauthorised encampments 123 79 252 186 138 367 608 555 74 2,382 
			  Unauthorised developments 53 5 52 133 49 347 219 89 17 964 
			 
			 January 2002 Total number of unauthorised caravans 114 79 432 329 137 691 458 371 163 2,774 
			  Unauthorised encampments 48 79 388 182 96 239 285 187 133 1,637 
			  Unauthorised developments 66 0 44 147 41 452 173 184 30 1,137 
			 
			 July 2002 Total number of unauthorised caravans 155 127 367 340 164 1,005 752 499 90 3,499 
			  Unauthorised encampments 97 123 333 211 117 386 546 395 53 2,261 
			  Unauthorised developments 58 4 34 129 47 619 206 104 37 1,238 
			 
			 January 2003 Total number of unauthorised caravans 128 10 313 322 147 952 628 428 100 3,028 
			  Unauthorised encampments 84 6 266 153 89 248 411 321 42 1,620 
			  Unauthorised developments 44 4 47 169 58 704 217 107 58 1,408 
			 
			 July 2003 Total number of unauthorised caravans 126 93 379 363 165 1,190 962 558 143 3,979 
			  Unauthorised encampments 93 87 318 210 130 405 599 400 73 2,315 
			  Unauthorised developments 33 6 61 153 35 785 363 158 70 1,664 
			 
			 January 2004 Total number of unauthorised caravans 120 105 256 413 174 1,172 736 425 170 3,571 
			  Unauthorised encampments 77 96 195 203 111 250 351 228 83 1,594 
			  Unauthorised developments 43 9 61 210 63 922 385 197 87 1,977 
			 
			 July 2004 Total number of unauthorised caravans 184 129 396 418 276 1,288 764 568 209 4,232 
			  Unauthorised encampments 158 118 294 263 209 466 343 425 101 2,377 
			  Unauthorised developments 26 11 102 155 67 822 421 143 108 1,855 
			 
			 January 2005 Total number of unauthorised caravans 185 38 412 262 171 1,056 635 511 170 3,440 
			  Unauthorised encampments 146 35 292 76 98 193 158 256 47 1,301 
			  Unauthorised developments 39 3 120 186 73 863 477 255 123 2,139 
			 
			 July 2005 Total number of unauthorised caravans 243 48 307 286 473 1,168 778 613 122 4,038 
			  Unauthorised encampments 177 43 210 135 404 325 422 367 16 2,099 
			  Unauthorised developments 66 5 97 151 69 843 356 246 106 1,939 
			 
			 January 2006 Total number of unauthorised caravans 200 48 291 282 115 999 609 626 102 3,272 
			  Unauthorised encampments 126 31 128 99 44 148 182 351 9 1,118 
			  Unauthorised developments 74 17 163 183 71 851 427 275 93 2,154 
			 
			 July 2006 Total number of unauthorised caravans 187 99 297 300 221 1,023 874 891 100 3,992 
			  Unauthorised encampments 136 84 178 112 185 288 354 427 8 1,772 
			  Unauthorised developments 51 15 119 188 36 735 520 464 92 2,220 
			 
			 January 2007 Total number of unauthorised caravans 207 24 312 339 172 994 550 776 164 3,538 
			  Unauthorised encampments 132 21 168 143 102 195 136 326 63 1,286 
			  Unauthorised developments 75 3 144 196 70 799 414 450 101 2,252 
			 
			 July 2007 Total number of unauthorised caravans 240 74 284 343 274 940 786 905 131 3,977 
			  Unauthorised encampments 183 71 202 159 214 285 288 445 26 1,873 
			  Unauthorised developments 57 3 82 184 60 655 498 460 105 2,104

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Nitrates

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether farmers will be able to increase their slurry storage capacity to satisfy the requirements of the Nitrate Action programme; and if he will consider extending the period of implementation.

Phil Woolas: We are currently undertaking a consultation on the implementation of the nitrate directive in England, which includes the Nitrate Action programme.

Angling

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to implement the recommendations in the Net Benefits report on the development of the UK's recreational sea angling sector, in particular the recommendation that bass be considered as a recreational species.

Jonathan R Shaw: Our plans to take forward the recommendations in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report "Net Benefits" concerned with inshore fisheries in England including recreational sea angling, were addressed in DEFRA's "Charting a New Course". These publications are available in the Library of the House.
	These plans included a commitment to consult on measures to increase the number and size of sea bass available to benefit both recreational anglers and commercial fishermen. My decision not to increase the minimum landing size of bass was announced on 25 October. This announcement included a number of other measures to benefit bass stocks and recreational sea angling in general.

Angling

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 860W, on angling, for what reason he did not launch a consultation on the draft Recreational Sea Angling Strategy in November 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 860W, on angling, on what date the final draft of the draft Recreational Sea Angling Strategy was approved for publication for consultation; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  for what reasons the draft Recreational Sea Angling Strategy was not published for consultation between January and March; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what factors he took into account when deciding the date on which to announce the Recreational Sea Angling Strategy; and which bodies he consulted while formulating the strategy.

Jonathan R Shaw: The draft Recreational Sea Angling Strategy was developed with representatives from the following organisations:
	National Federation of Sea Anglers
	National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations
	Department for Culture Media and Sport
	Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society
	Sea Anglers Conservation Network
	Eastern Sea Fisheries Joint Committee
	Sussex Sea Fisheries Committee
	Shellfish Association of Great Britain
	Natural England
	Environment Agency
	CEFAS
	Marine and Fisheries Agency
	It was endorsed by DEFRA's Inshore Fisheries Working Group on 23 March 2007 and on 3 December 2007. I approved the draft strategy for publication. My priority in relation to sea angling was to make a decision on an increased minimum landing size for bass. I announced my decision on this on 25 October after which I launched a consultation on the draft Recreational Sea Angling Strategy on 6 December, six days later than planned. The closing date for comments is 31 March 2008. A copy of the strategy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Animal Feed: Prices

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the increases in prices of feed on the pig farming industry;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of worldwide increases in cereal prices on the livestock industry in England.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding  answer  10 December 2007
	 The higher feed costs in the UK are due to global cereals price rises following two successive lower wheat harvests and increasing demand for cereals for food, feed and fuel purposes. The impact, in financial terms, will differ across the farming sectors, as explained in our recent report "Implications of rising agricultural commodity prices". A copy of this report is available on the DEFRA website.
	I am aware that the pig industry has been particularly affected by increases in feed costs as feed makes up a significantly larger proportion of their total costs. This is reflected in the report.
	Projections of the aggregate measure of total income from farming have been published on the DEFRA website and the first full set of farm income statistics, including a breakdown by farm type, will be published at the end of January.

Animals: Disease Control

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reasons are for the reduction in funding for county councils for trading standards officers to carry out animal disease control work; what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the change in funding on the enforcement of animal disease control; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The bids received from local authorities this year for additional funding to support their work on animal health and welfare exceeded the budget available by over £1 million. DEFRA has therefore allocated the available funding within the constraints of the available budget.
	Local authorities have been asked to discuss with their local divisional veterinary managers any necessary adjustments to the planned level of work under the framework agreement between DEFRA and local authorities.

Animals: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much he allocated to Herefordshire council for animal health purposes in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The amount allocated to Herefordshire council for animal health purposes in 2006-07 was £128,319 of which £124,109 was spent. The forecast submitted through the divisional veterinary manager for 2007-08 was £136,100. The allocation is £119,768.00.

Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: From information held centrally, the core-Department spent  (a) £899,611 and  (b) £11,152 on business and first class air travel respectively in the period October 2006 to September 2007 inclusive.

Bluetongue Disease

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) new farms confirmed bluetongue infection and  (b) farms were declared free of bluetongue in each of the last four weeks.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of confirmed cases of bluetongue in each of the last four weeks is as follows:
	
		
			  Week commencing  Premises 
			 12 November 2 
			 19 November 1 
			 26 November (1)0 
			 (1) No new cases confirmed 
		
	
	As of 3 December, there have been 66 confirmed premises affected by bluetongue since the first case was confirmed on 28 September. None of these premises has yet been confirmed to be free of the disease. However, in the case of bluetongue, restrictions are lifted on the premises after the veterinary inquiry, and only the area restrictions relating to the protection and surveillance zones remain in place. Cases of bluetongue currently remain contained to the east and south-eastern parts of England, but, since disease is transmitted by midges, there is no use in restricting the individual premises.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what side effects have been identified of the use of active vaccines for bluetongue virus;
	(2)  what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on side effects of active vaccines for bluetongue virus.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are significant, potential risks associated with live bluetongue vaccines. Live vaccine strains can become more virulent than the field strain, produce new strains through re-assortment with the field strain and circulate in the midge vector. Live vaccines can also cause disease in some breeds of sheep (and potentially cattle), cannot be given to pregnant ewes (as they can cause foetal deformities), and can be a potential source of infection on mating and artificial insemination as the vaccine can be found in the semen of bulls and rams.
	For those reasons, the use of live vaccines would not normally be considered as a disease control measure and the tender for vaccine we have issued states that a vaccine should be inactivated (killed).

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions could be imposed by the Food Standards Agency in relation to vaccinated animals intended for human consumption if active vaccines are used during a bluetongue outbreak.

Jonathan R Shaw: Our recent tender for bluetongue vaccine stated that we would only use inactivated vaccine that had received a marketing authorisation from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Such a marketing authorisation would certify that the vaccine was both effective and safe for use. The Food Standards Agency has advised that, provided such a marketing authorisation is received, there would be no food safety implications of the use of an inactivated bluetongue vaccine. Therefore, no restrictions would be put in place on the human consumption of bluetongue vaccinated animals.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what criteria will be used to determine whether the bluetongue outbreak warrants the use of vaccinations;
	(2)  when a vaccination programme for bluetongue would be able to start; and which areas would have priority;
	(3)  what plans his Department has to implement a bluetongue vaccination programme.

Jonathan R Shaw: We are currently developing a detailed plan with scientific experts on bluetongue, representatives of the farming industry and others as to how a vaccination programme would work. This plan must be submitted to the European Commission by the end of January. We are also in discussions with the Commission and other affected member states about the content of that plan, which will set out how the Government and industry jointly intend to use vaccination and which areas would take priority. Although EU law provides that vaccination can only take place within the protection zone (currently East Anglia and the South East) we will keep under review with the industry whether to increase the size of that zone to allow vaccination to take place in a wider area.
	In order for a vaccination programme to be fully effective next year, it will be important that vaccination starts as soon as the vaccine is available. Given that it can also take six to eight months for vaccine to be produced and made ready for use, we have tendered for between 10 and 20 million doses of vaccine. We are currently considering the bids made and we expect to place a firm order very soon, so we expect to have a vaccine ready by early summer.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government allocated to research and development of inactive bluetongue vaccines in each of the last three years; and how much has been allocated for research in each of then next three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The research, development and production of bluetongue vaccine is a lucrative commercial proposition and there are a number of private companies involved in this process, so there is no need for the Government to carry out such research. We have issued a tender to those companies to supply between 10 and 20 million doses of vaccine which sets out the technical specifications we expect a vaccine to meet.
	This tender was based on the advice of experts at the Institute of Animal Health, which carries out general research into bluetongue, and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). These experts have also been assessing the three bids received. It will be a condition of any order for vaccine that the VMD issue it with a marketing authorisation confirming that it is effective and safe for use.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of individual vaccines required to control the outbreak of bluetongue at present levels of infection; and to which animals the vaccines would be applied.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have tendered for 10 to 20 million doses to ensure that the bank will be adaptable to a range of circumstances. Discussions on anticipated demand for vaccine are currently under way with the farming industry and we expect to place a firm order for vaccine very shortly.
	We are currently developing a detailed vaccination plan with scientific experts on bluetongue, the farming industry and others which will address questions such as the species to be vaccinated. However, it is likely that all domestic susceptible species, for example, cattle, sheep, goats, farmed deer, camelids and zoo ruminants, in a given area would be eligible for vaccination, although it would be impractical to attempt to vaccinate wild susceptible species, such as wild deer.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the current cost is of individual vaccinations against bluetongue; how widely available the vaccine is; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have tendered for 10 to 20 million doses to ensure that the bank will be adaptable to a range of circumstances. We are currently assessing the bids submitted and we expect to make a firm order very soon. This process of assessment and negotiation with the vaccine producing companies is establishing the likely cost of vaccination.
	In keeping with the principles set out in the Bluetongue Control Strategy, which was developed in partnership with the farming industry, livestock keepers will be offered the opportunity to purchase vaccine from the bank. EU law limits vaccination to the protection zone. However, we will keep under review with the industry whether to extend that zone to permit vaccination to take place in a wider area once a vaccine is available in early summer.

Cereals: Prices

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the change in volume of bioethanol production of fuel from cereals; and what assessment he has made of its effect on cereal prices.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 Overall sales of fuel bioethanol into the UK market increased from 85 million litres in 2005 to 95 million litres in 2006. These sales have been from imported sources. The UK currently has one fuel bioethanol production plant which opened this year. British Sugar's facility in Wissington processes sugar beet and has a capacity of around 70 million litres per annum. A number of companies are planning to build further plants which would use UK-grown crops such as wheat.
	It is unlikely that the production of biofuels has had a discernable effect on UK cereals prices to date. Current high prices are due to global factors, including two successive lower world wheat harvests, low global stocks and increased demand for cereals from the range of sectors including food, feed and fuel. Growing global demand for biofuels will put upward pressure on crop prices, but also increase the supply of crops in the future, leading to a stabilisation of the market. Analysis by the European Commission assessing the impact of the 10 per cent. by energy biofuel target for 2020 indicates that prices for agricultural raw materials in the EU would increase by 3 to 6 per cent. for cereals.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many attacks on people there were by dogs designated as dangerous under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each year since 1997; and how many there were by dogs owned in contravention of the Act in each year;
	(2)  how many people were prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in London in each year since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is provided in the following tables. Table 1 shows the number of people prosecuted for allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control. Table 2 shows the number of defendants proceeded against. However, we do not hold information on whether the dogs involved were held in contravention of the law.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences related to allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control, England and Wales 1997 to 2006( 1, 2) 
			  Offence description  Principal statute  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 821 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place injuring any person. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 S.3 (1) 121 239 262 260 285 300 302 350 403 458 
			 822 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non-public place and injure any person. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 S.3 (3) 5 13 19 32 31 30 33 25 25 29 
			 11118 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place, no injury being caused. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 S.3 (1) 88 125 126 130 157 150 171 167 168 160 
			 11119 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non-public place causing reasonable apprehension of injury to a person. Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 S.3 (3) 4 8 5 13 14 7 10 5 9 11 
			 Total  218 385 412 435 487 487 516 547 605 658 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts in Greater London for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, 1997 to 2006( 1, 2) 
			   Number proceeded against 
			 1997 80 
			 1998 83 
			 1999 79 
			 2000 92 
			 2001 97 
			 2002 86 
			 2003 91 
			 2004 82 
			 2005 80 
			 2006 102 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Departmental Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid by his Department in consultancy fees in each year since 2004-05.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 22 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 78-79W.

Departmental Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid in consultancy fees by  (a) the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and  (b) the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions between 1997 and 8 June 2001.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 22 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 78-79W.

Departmental Data Protection

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what proportion of posts in his Department were recategorised from back office to frontline posts as classified by the Gershon efficiency review in each year since 2004.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA is committed to achieving workforce reductions of 1,400 posts by the end of 2007-08. This is a net target and no posts will be reallocated to the frontline as part of it.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account he will take of the likely costs of the proposed  (a) Marine Management Organisation and  (b) reforms of the Sea Fisheries Committees when deciding to allocate the moneys allocated to his Department in the next comprehensive spending review period; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA's business planning and budgeting process is currently in hand for the period covered by the recent comprehensive spending review (CSR07). Allocations have not been finalised, but the likely costs of implementing the Marine Bill, including the costs of establishing the Marine Management Organisation and reforming Sea Fisheries Committees, are being taken into account.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to undertake research into developing market opportunities for low-value fish; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Making low-value fish available and convenient to consumers is a key part of Fisheries 2027, a long-term vision for sustainable fisheries. I am discussing with stakeholders a draft delivery plan for Fisheries 2027, which sets out the shared responsibilities of those involved in the fisheries supply chain. This includes DEFRA's role. Fisheries 2027 is available in the Library of the House.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the classification of the  (a) 10 metre and under fleet and  (b) 10 metre and over fleet; whether there are any proposals to change this classification; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have had no discussions with the European Commission on any changes to the use of 10 metres as a division of the fishing fleet in the UK, and I am unaware of any proposals to change this classification.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether he plans to implement a Quota Management Change Programme without Scotland's participation; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he plans to resume discussions with the devolved administrations on the Quota Management Change Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Following the Scottish Executive's withdrawal from the Quota Management Change Programme, DEFRA and the devolved Administrations are currently considering how to take forward work on quota management reform flowing from the change programme, and any other measures that might be necessary. As soon as this has been decided I will make an announcement.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether he plans to alter the proportion of 2008 quota received by the  (a) producer organisations,  (b) 10 metre and under fleet and  (c) non-sector compared to the allocation for 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what he estimates to be an appropriate amount of quota for the 10 metre and under fleet for each fish stock; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when he expects to announce proposals to reform the management of the 10 metre and under fleet; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  whether he intends to allow 10 metre and under vessels to continue to lease quota from the producer organisations in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The proportions of quota received by each sector of the fishing fleet are based on arrangements laid down in the UK's Quota Management Rules. I have no plans to change these arrangements for 2008.
	Requirements for quota for each sector and each vessel vary throughout the year and between years in response to changing environmental and economic conditions. For this reason there is no single "appropriate amount of quota" for the under 10 metre fleet. In response, the Marine and Fisheries Agency adjusts quota holdings for the under 10 metre fleet throughout the year through quota swaps, donations from producer organisations and contributions through economic links.
	The facility for the leasing of quota by under 10 metre vessels was introduced as a temporary measure for 2007. I am currently examining options to improve the management of the under 10 metre fleet, including the arrangements for access to quota by these vessels, and expect to make an announcement on this matter soon.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much quota available to skippers in each sector has been unused in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Figures for the uptake of United Kingdom quotas of fish are published each year in Table 6.2 of the United Kingdom Sea Fisheries Statistics Tables published by the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA). This provides information on the level of quota and the landings of each fish stock (covering demersal, pelagic and shellfish species) for which the UK receives a quota. Information for the year 2006 is included in the latest edition, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Information for previous years is available online from the MFA website.
	The MFA also publish information on the uptake of quotas in terms of the quota allocated and uptake by each producer organisation in the United Kingdom. The latest information on uptake in 2007 is available, and similar information related to activity in 2005 and 2006 is available on the MFA website.
	Fisheries Administrations in the UK seek to work with the industry to facilitate maximum uptake of UK quota. Uptake of quotas by the UK industry varies from stock to stock in line with operational and business decisions made by the industry, as well as the effect of other constraints on fishing operations such as the various effort control regimes that exist. Uptake also varies from year to year as well as throughout the year.

Fisheries: Science

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding has been provided for fisheries-related science in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table shows spending by DEFRA and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on Marine Fisheries Science in each year since 1997. The figures show total spending, and also break this down into spend on Research and Development (R and D) and on monitoring and assessment work (non R and D).
	Increases to the non R and D funds for 2004-06 reflect the introduction of a £1 million Fisheries Science Partnership initiative in 2004, and several increases to Capital Charges paid to the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS).
	
		
			  £ 
			   R and D  Non R and D  Total 
			 1997 3,091,018 4,664,238 7,755,256 
			 1998 4,097,522 3,884,120 7,981,642 
			 1999 3,074,360 4,224,513 7,298,873 
			 2000 3,566,795 4,598,165 8,164,960 
			 2001 3,354,031 4,621,959 7,975,990 
			 2002 3,367,063 5,942,000 9,309,063 
			 2003 3,243,581 5,942,000 9,185,581 
			 2004 3,199,128 8,487,999 11,687,127 
			 2005 3,168,882 9,985,000 13,153,882 
			 2006 3,380,906 10,543,000 13,923,906

Fisheries: Standards

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) targets and  (b) deadlines for achieving them were set out in each Marine and Fisheries Business Plan published by his Department since 1997; which targets were (i) reached and (ii) not reached by the deadlines; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA's Marine and Fisheries Directorate was established on 1 April 2006. Business plans were published for 2006-07 and 2007-08, and copies are available in the House of Commons Library. They set out the work and milestones of the directorate for this period, and the 2007-08 plan includes a review of the previous year's progress.
	I am pleased to say that the Government have made considerable progress on a wide range of marine and fisheries issues. We published the Marine Bill White Paper in March 2007 and plan to publish the draft Bill next year.
	We have delivered key UK objectives on a number of important marine and fisheries portfolios at European Council and international meetings, including changes to allow more informed decision making on fish quotas and technical regulations and on the Marine Strategy Directive.
	There have been important improvements in fisheries management in response to the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report "Net Benefits". We have also secured amendments to the London and OSPAR conventions to allow carbon storage on the sea bed. This has the potential to be a significant means of ameliorating the effects of carbon emissions.

Fisheries: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much fisheries-related funding was allocated from the EU to the UK in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) region and (b) fisheries administration; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The fisheries-related allocations from the EU to the UK were as follows:
	 1997-99
	 UK Objective 5a programme (England , Lowland Scotland , Wales)
	(The EU did not provide an allocation by region for this programme)
	1997: 14.8 mecus (£10.2 million)
	1998: 14.8 mecus (£10.2 million)
	1999: 14.8 mecus (£10.2 million)
	 UK Objective 1 programmes
	
		
			   Merseyside  Scotland Highlands and Islands  Northern Ireland 
			   Mecus  £ million  Mecus  £ million  Mecus  £ million 
			 1997 0.1 0.1 3.1 2.1 2.5 1.7 
			 1998 0.1 0.1 3.1 2.1 2.5 1.7 
			 1999 0.1 0.1 2.7 1.8 2.5 1.7 
		
	
	 Fisheries element of UK PESCA programme
	
		
			   England  Lowland Scotland  Scotland Highlands and Islands  Wales  Northern Ireland 
			   Mecus  £ million  Mecus  £ million  Mecus  £ million  Mecus  £ million  Mecus  £ million 
			 1997 0.9 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.02 0.01 0.1 0.04 
			 1998 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.01 0.01 0.1 0.04 
			 1999 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.02 0.01 0.1 0.04 
		
	
	 Total UK:
	1997: 21.8 mecus (£15.0 million)
	1998: 21.6 mecus (£14.9 million)
	1999: 21.4 mecus (£14.7 million)
	 2000-06
	 UK Outside Objective 1 programme
	
		
			   England  Lowland Scotland  Wales 
			   Meuro  £ million  Meuro  £ million  Meuro  £ million 
			 2000 8.6 5.9 8.6 5.9 0.4 0.2 
			 2001 8.8 6.0 8.8 6.0 0.4 0.2 
			 2002 9.0 6.2 9.0 6.2 0.4 0.2 
			 2003 9.2 6.3 9.2 6.3 0.4 0.2 
			 2004 8.5 5.8 8.5 5.8 0.3 0.2 
			 2005 8.6 5.9 8.6 5.9 0.4 0.2 
			 2006 8.9 6.1 8.9 6.1 0.4 0.2 
		
	
	 UK Objective 1 programmes
	
		
			   Cornwall  Merseyside  Scotland Highlands and Islands  West Wales and the Valleys  Northern Ireland 
			   Meuro  £ million  Meuro  £ million  Meuro  £ million  Meuro  £ million  Meuro  £ million 
			 2000 3.1 2.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 2.3 1.6 0.9 0.6 
			 2001 2.5 1.8 0.0 0.0 8.3 5.7 2.3 1.6 1.9 1.3 
			 2002 2.7 1.9 0.1 0.1 6.4 4.4 2.2 1.5 5.4 3.7 
			 2003 2.5 1.8 0.0 0.0 4.6 3.1 2.2 1.5 5.5 3.8 
			 2004 1 .9 1.3 0.1 0.1 3.7 2. 5 2.0 1.3 5.5 3.8 
			 2005 2.2 1.5 0.0 0.0 2.9 2.0 2.1 1.5 5.4 3.7 
			 2006 2.0 1.4 0.1 0.1 1.9 1.3 2.1 1.4 5.4 3.7 
		
	
	 Total UK:
	2000: 24.0 meuros (£16.6 million)
	2001: 32.9 meuros (£22.7 million)
	2002: 35.1 meuros (£24.2 million)
	2003: 33.5 meuros (£23.1 million)
	2004: 30.3 meuros (£20.9 million)
	2005: 30.2 meuros (£20.8 million)
	2006: 29.6 meuros (£20.4 million)

Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects further proposals from the Commission Communication: A Policy to Reduce Unwanted By-catch and Eliminate Discards in European Fisheries (COM (2007) 136 final) to be discussed at a Fisheries Council meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I would expect the issue of discards to be a key topic of discussion during the negotiations surrounding the setting of total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2008 at the December EU Fisheries Council.
	The first Council debate was held at the June Agriculture and Fisheries Council and the Commission hopes to finalise a plan for implementation by the end of 2007 and develop and introduce legislative proposals during 2008.
	The Commission published its policy paper containing proposals to address the problem of discarding on 28 March 2007. Member states and regional advisory councils among others have since been consulted by the Commission on its proposals in order to develop an implementation plan.

Fishing Catches

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with  (a) his Belgian counterpart,  (b) his Danish counterpart,  (c) his French counterpart,  (d) his Portuguese counterpart,  (e) his Spanish counterpart and  (f) the European Commission on the submission of discard data to the Commission's Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have made clear to the Commission and other member states that I am concerned about the absence of adequate data on discards. I expect the Commission to be pressing those who have failed to deliver to provide the data as soon as possible. The Commission have assured me that this is a key priority for them.
	Since 2002, all EU countries have been required to collect data on discarding under Council Regulation 1543/2000. Unfortunately, the information has not yet been systematically compiled.
	A report published in November this year by the Subgroup on the Assessment of the Fishing Effort Regime of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee (STECF), presents an overview on 2003-2006 catch data reports (landings and discards) provided by EU member states with and without special conditions laid down in Annexes IIA-C of Council Reg. 41/2007. These are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  According to 41/2007 Annexes 11A-C 
			  Country  Landings data 2003-2006  Discards data 2003-06 
			 Belgium Landings, age composition (no special condition) None 
			 Denmark Landings, age composition Data not in the requested format 
			 France Landings, age composition, not for ICES Div. 8c-9a None 
			 Germany Landings, age composition Discards, age composition 
			 Ireland Landings, age composition (no special condition) None 
			 Netherlands Landings, age composition (no mesh size for beam, no special condition) Discards, age composition (no mesh size for beam, no special condition) 
			 Portugal Landings, age composition (only 2004-2006, no special condition for regulated gears) None 
			 Spain None None 
			 UK England incl. Northern Ireland Landings, age composition Discards, age composition 
			 UK Scotland Landings, age composition Discards, age composition 
			 Sweden Landings, age composition, not by quarter Landings, age composition, not by quarter

Foot and Mouth Disease

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the costs associated with the 2007 outbreak of foot and mouth disease, broken down by subheading.

Jonathan R Shaw: As of 26 November the estimated total cost of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak was in the region of £48.3 million and is broken down as follows:
	
		
			   Costs (£000) 
			 Staff costs 13,112 
			 FMD aid package for farming 12,500 
			 Compensation costs 793 
			 Cleansing and disinfecting costs 1,792 
			 Vaccination and vaccine bank costs 2,246 
			 Communications costs 191 
			 Surveillance and diagnostic testing costs 11,490 
			 Infected Premises and Local Disease Control Centre costs 6,100 
			 Consultancy 84 
			 Total 48,308

Foot and Mouth Disease: Disease Control

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions on movement remain in place to counter  (a) foot and mouth and  (b) bluetongue; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: For foot and mouth disease, there are some remaining movement restrictions in some boroughs and districts in the south east. These restrictions also prevent exports of meat and meat products from the area. A decision was agreed by EU member states on 3 December to allow live animal exports, which will come into force later in December. Details, and a map outlining the boundaries of these zones, can be found on the DEFRA website.
	For bluetongue, a protection zone exists in East Anglia and south east England, and a wider surveillance zone is in place covering a large part of England except the north and south west. There are a number of restrictions relating to movements in and across these zones, and details can be found on the DEFRA website. We are keeping these restrictions under review with industry during the low vector period over winter.

International Whaling Commission

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on recent UK Government representations to the International Whaling Commission.

Jonathan R Shaw: The UK plays a prominent role within the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in building and maintaining the coalition of anti-whaling countries. At this year's meeting, due in part to the UK's efforts to increase the number of anti-whaling countries within the IWC, the anti-whaling bloc regained the simple majority within the Commission.
	This majority enabled the UK and our allies to pass several key resolutions, in which the IWC: called on Japan to halt it's lethal scientific research programme known as JARPA II; recognised the need to promote the non-lethal use of cetaceans (i.e. whale-watching); and reaffirmed the continuing need for the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling in the face of proposals to be considered by the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) aimed at eventually permitting trade in some cetacean products.

Marine and Fisheries Agency: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when he will decide on the grants he will give to the Marine and Fisheries Agency for each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what account he will take of the likely costs to the Marine and Fisheries Agency of the proposed EU legislation on electronic recording and reporting of fish when deciding to allocate the moneys allocated to his Department in the next comprehensive spending review period; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what representations he has received from the Marine and Fisheries Agency on its budget for each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: As an Executive Agency of DEFRA, the Marine and Fisheries Agency participates in our business planning and budgeting process. Their applications for funding for the period covered by the comprehensive spending review are now being considered by DEFRA as part of that process. That process will also take into account the future spending requirements of the Agency to meet their statutory and policy delivery priorities. This includes those costs currently identified as necessary to cover the requirements of the proposed EU legislation on electronic recording and reporting of fish. However, final decisions on some aspects of the implementation of these requirements in the UK have yet to be taken. The Agency will seek additional funds if shown to be necessary.

Pirbright Laboratory: Disease Control

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken to prevent further leaks from the laboratory at Pirbright.

Jonathan R Shaw: As soon as we became aware that Pirbright was a potential source of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak we put in place a number of additional safeguards at the Pirbright site. We immediately asked the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Professor Spratt to carry out reviews of biosecurity and subsequently accepted all of the recommendations in their reports. Since then, stringent new biosecurity conditions have been applied to work on the Pirbright site, providing several independent layers of safety and ensuring that the process is contained. For example, the drainage system has been relined and tested. These measures will ensure the highest level of biosecurity at Pirbright.
	Additional measures have been implemented for the Institute of Animal Health, including tougher controls over access and on movement of people and vehicles, and an agreed protocol to prevent activities that could result in virus entering the drainage system. We have worked closely with the HSE and are satisfied that all necessary measures are in place to manage any risk of further virus release.
	On 22 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Hilary Benn) made a written statement,  Official Report, columns 143-44WS, after Merial informed DEFRA officials of an incident that led to a possible leak of live virus into the contained drainage system.
	A joint DEFRA, HSE and veterinary medicine directorate inspection team visited the site on 21 November. They confirmed that all work with live virus had stopped, and they carried out a detailed inspection.
	The inspection team judged that, while it was possible that live FMD virus had entered the contained drainage system, they were assured that live virus had not been released into the environment. The extensive layers of biosecurity that we require under the Special Animal Pathogens Order licence effectively contained the virus in the closed, re-lined drainage system, before deactivation in the chemical treatment facility.

Pork

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to intervention buying of pork products to take excess supply from the UK market; what consideration he has given to the banning of pork imports which are not produced to British standards; and what steps he is taking to ensure pork products carry labelling indicating from which country the pork has been sourced.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 10 December 2007
	Intervention buying of pigmeat is governed by the EU pigmeat regime which includes provision for limited private storage aid under certain market conditions. Applications for private storage aid were recently opened for the period from 29 October to 4 December. Uptake in the UK was very low compared to the rest of the EU.
	The vast majority of pigmeat imports into the UK are from EU countries and are, therefore, protected by single market legislation. There are very few areas in which UK law goes beyond the requirements of the EU minimum standards. The principal remaining difference between UK and other member states' pig welfare standards regards the use of sow stalls, where UK-type restrictions will not apply across the EU until 2013. World Trade Organisation rules currently do not allow us to restrict trade on animal welfare grounds.
	All consignments of meat imported into the UK from other EU member states and third countries must have been produced in accordance with the harmonised animal and public health rules laid down in European Community legislation.
	The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and the Food Safety Act 1990 govern the use of labelling including that for country of origin. Any labelling that provides information on the origin of meat must not mislead consumers. Where meat has been processed, provided it is a substantial change, it is permissible to describe as its origin the country where that change took place. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has lead responsibility for labelling and has issued guidance which suggests that if the absence of information might mislead consumers, both the origin of the meat and the country where the processing takes place should be declared in order to facilitate informed consumer choice. The FSA also leads on engagement in the EU's Review of Food Labelling and DEFRA is liaising with it to ensure that concerns such as country sourcing are taken fully into account.
	We also welcome initiatives such as that of the British pig industry to develop a code of practice to help make consumers better informed about methods and origin of pigmeat production.

Public Sector: Procurement

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the public sector food procurement initiative on the animal welfare standards related to the production of the meat and eggs purchased by public sector bodies; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the public sector food procurement initiative for public sector bodies concluded on the purchase of conventional battery eggs or food and meals using such eggs; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: No such assessment has been made.
	The public sector food procurement initiative (PSFPI) does not contain any specific guidance on purchasing eggs. However, objectives which apply to all food purchases include: increasing tendering opportunities for small and local food producers; raising standards of production; and, addressing barriers to supply. We have recently published a new guide, Putting it into practice, which promotes animal welfare along with other PSFPI objectives.

Seas and Oceans

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his estimate is of the costs to the public purse of introducing the measures proposed in the Marine Bill White Paper over the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: In the partial regulatory impact assessment, published with the Marine Bill White Paper, we have set out the estimated costs and benefits of our proposals. We are updating that assessment and will publish it next year alongside the draft Marine Bill.

Seas and Oceans: Biodiversity

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 1097-8W, on seas and oceans: biodiversity, which special areas of conservation he has identified beyond the 12 nautical mile limit; what measures he is taking to protect these areas; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We are finalising our Natura 2000 network of sites in the marine area, which we hope to substantially complete by 2012. We expect to send an initial tranche of candidate offshore special areas of conservation to the European Commission before September 2008.
	The Joint Nature Conservation Committee will be consulting on seven initial sites later this month. These include: Braemar Pockmarks, Darwin Mounds, Haig Fras, North Norfolk Sandbanks and Saturn Reef, Scanner Pockmark, Stanton Banks and Wyville Thomson Ridge.
	At the time of the consultation the sites are not European offshore marine sites so the Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats, c.) Regulations 2007 do not apply as a matter of law or as a matter of policy. However, DEFRA will consider what action might reasonably be taken to protect sites. Consenting authorities are encouraged to take note of proposals in consideration of any licensing or consenting decisions that may affect sites.
	If the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), as our scientific nature conservation advisers, advised us that potential offshore sites were being damaged by fishing activities, we would approach the Commission to ask them to consider proposing protective measures. The JNCC have not indicated that there is any such damage occurring in our current potential sites.
	Our programme of data collection and survey work will continue to identify further sites required to complete the UK network.

Slaughterhouses: Religious Practice

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to regulate the halal slaughter industry in order to assist the identification of such produce throughout the wholesale process.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government recognise that some purchasers may wish to have access to this information. However, they have no plans to bring in legislation in this area. There is, of course, nothing to prevent food businesses from providing this information throughout the supply chain on a voluntary basis.

Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible provide a customer contact service; and which of these are 0800 or 0845 numbers.

Jonathan R Shaw: All of DEFRA's executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies provide public contact points for enquiries. Details are available on their websites.
	In addition, the following DEFRA sponsored bodies offer a substantive customer contact service:
	
		
			  Delivery body etc.  Customer contact service  Use of 0800 or 0845 numbers? 
			 DEFRA DEFRA Helpline Yes 
			 Animal Health National Scrapie Plan, Welfare in Transit, Pet Travel scheme, Helpline Yes 
			 Rural Payments Agency Rural Payments Agency Customer Service Centre, British Cattle Movement Service Yes 
			 Environment Agency National Customer Contact Centre provides a single point of contact for the Agency's customers Yes 
			 Natural England National Enquiry line Yes 
			 British Potato Council Market Information function No

Thames and Severn Canal

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for how long the scheme proposing the restoration of the Thames and Severn canal has been in place.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Cotswold Canals Trust was established in 1972 with the vision of restoring these canals to navigation. The regenerative benefits of the proposed restoration was recognised by the local community and local authorities by the early 1990s. The Cotswold Canals Partnershipmade up of 17 stakeholderswas formed in 2001 and is leading the restoration of the canal.

Thames and Severn Canal

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to publish the MWH report into the Thames and Severn canal.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Montgomery Watson Hydrological study into the feasibility of water supply to the restored canals is well advanced, and is currently being reviewed by British Waterways in consultation with the Environment Agency. I understand that it will be published once the study is fully complete.

Whales

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has made to countries who permit whaling.

Jonathan R Shaw: The UK Government have consistently voiced their strong opposition to countries engaged in lethal 'scientific' and commercial whaling programmes.
	Last year the UK took part in two demarches presented to the Japanese Government regarding their 'scientific' whaling operations: in January 2006 over the JARPA II whaling programme, and a similar protest in December 2006.
	In April 2006, the British Charge d'Affaires in Oslo delivered a demarche to the Norwegian Government, on behalf of the UK and 11 other countries, urging it to stop its commercial whaling programme.
	In November 2006, the UK led a diplomatic demarche of 25 countries, together with the European Commission, in condemning the Icelandic Government's decision to resume commercial whaling.

Whales: Research

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals he has made in international institutions to prevent the killing of humpback whales for scientific research.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 11 December 2007
	At the annual meetings of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the UK regularly co-sponsors resolutions calling on those countries which undertake lethal whaling operations for the ostensible purpose of scientific research to desist from these activities. We also participate in high-level diplomatic protests to the Japanese Government on this issue. In more general discussion on the future of the IWC, we have argued that the international convention for the regulation of whaling should be amended to close the loophole that renders such operations legal. Were such an amendment formally proposed, it would only take effect if all parties to the convention ratified it. This seems an unlikely outcome.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Fire Extinguishers

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies there are; and how many of these have been fitted with fire sprinkler systems.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 150W, and to the reply given on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 154W.

Academies: General Certificate of Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were entered for each subject at GCSE and equivalent qualifications in 2007 by each academy school; how many achieved each grade in each academy; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: 2007 GCSE and equivalent results for each schoolincluding those for academiesare not available until their publication in the secondary school achievement and attainment tables in January 2008. However, the Department does not produce reports showing individual subject level results for each individual schoolincluding academies. Such a report could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Academies: Pupil Exclusions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many permanent exclusions there were from each academy in each year since 2002-03; how many there were in those schools in the year before academy status was granted; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The number of permanent exclusions from each academy in each year since 2002-03 to 2005-06 is provided in the table. Exclusions data relating to the 2006-07 school year are expected to be available in June 2008.
	Information on the number of exclusions from the predecessor schools of each academy could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	Exclusions in academies are high relative to national averages. However, academies are placing great emphasis on getting the basics right and improving behaviour in particular. Academies often inherit a large number of disengaged pupils and need to establish good behaviour in order to raise attainment. As the new ethos and behaviour policy are enforced in an academy's early days, the number of exclusions may rise, but it typically drops down as behaviour improves. This phenomenon is not unique to academiesthe same effect is often observed when a new head teacher transforms a struggling maintained school.
	
		
			  Academies: number of permanent exclusions( 1,2)  2002-03 to 2005-06, schools in England 
			Number of permanent exclusions 
			  LA name  Establishment name  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Barnet London Academy n/a (3) 0 0 
			 Barnsley The Barnsley Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Bexley The Business Academy Bexley 4 6 7 9 
			 Bradford Dixons City Academy n/a n/a (3) n/a 
			 Brent Capital City Academy n/a 4 11 13 
			 Bristol City of The City Academy Bristol n/a 7 4 3 
			 Derby Landau Forte College n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Doncaster Trinity Academy n/a n/a n/a 6 
			 Ealing West London Academy (3) 8 22 17 
			 Greenwich St. Paul's Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hackney Mossbourne Community Academy n/a n/a 0 0 
			 Hackney The Petchey Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham Burlington Danes Academy n/a n/a n/a (3) 
			 Haringey Greig City Academy 13 0 0 0 
			 Hillingdon Stockley Academy n/a 3 4 4 
			 Hillingdon The Harefield Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Kent The Marlowe Academy n/a n/a n/a 3 
			 Lambeth Lambeth Academy n/a n/a 0 0 
			 Leeds David Young Community Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Lewisham Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Lewisham Haberdashers' Aske's Knights Academy n/a n/a (3) (3) 
			 Liverpool North Liverpool Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Liverpool The Academy of St Francis of Assisi n/a n/a n/a 5 
			 Manchester Manchester Academy 3 3 0 0 
			 Merton Harris Academy Merton n/a n/a n/a 5 
			 Merton St. Marks Church of England Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Middlesbrough Macmillan Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Middlesbrough The King's Academy n/a 27 7 11 
			 Middlesbrough Unity City Academy 0 8 6 0 
			 Northamptonshire Northampton Academy n/a 9 9 23 
			 Nottingham Djanogly City Academy Nottingham 4 3 11 10 
			 Reading John Madejski Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Salford Salford City Academy n/a n/a 6 4 
			 Sandwell Sandwell Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sheffield Sheffield Park Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sheffield Sheffield Springs Academy n/a n/a n/a (3) 
			 Solihull Grace Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Southwark City of London Academy (Southwark) n/a 0 3 4 
			 Southwark Harris Academy Bermondsey n/a n/a n/a 5 
			 Southwark Harris Girls' Academy East Dulwich n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Southwark The Academy at Peckham n/a 5 10 13 
			 Thurrock The Gateway Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Walsall Walsall Academy n/a (3) 0 0 
			 Waltham Forest Walthamstow Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Westminster Paddington Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Westminster Westminster Academy n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = not applicable (1) Figures are as reported by schools and are unconfirmed. (2) It is possible that in some cases exclusions from a predecessor school have been transferred across to the academy. This may have happened in only a small number of cases and only in the first year of the academy's operation. (3) One or two exclusions  Source: School Census

Assessments: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any of the key stage 3 English tests are marked overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The eligibility criteria for markers of key stage 3 English tests include a requirement that they have an address in the United Kingdom for delivery of scripts.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the timescale is for publication of the report his Department commissioned from Deloitte on ContactPoint's security procedures.

Kevin Brennan: Given the obvious importance of ensuring that ContactPoint has extremely robust security measures in place, on 20 November, the Secretary of State asked for an independent assessment of ContactPoint's security proceduresto be conducted by Deloitte.
	The findings will be compared with the international security standard ISO27001, which defines the requirements for an information security management system, and the Government's own Manual of Protective Security (MPS) standards. The expectation is that the independent assessment will report back to the Secretary of State at the end of January 2008. We plan, thereafter, to make public the key findings of Deloitte's report.

Children: Equal Opportunities

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken to widen equality of opportunity for children since 1997.

Jim Knight: Since 1997, with the support of teachers and practitioners, we have achieved an unprecedented increase in school standards. And, in the context of raising school standards, we have also met the challenge of broadening equality of attainment for many under-achieving groups. Our continued focus is to raise school standards and deliver a world class education system where every child, irrespective of gender, race, disability or background, receives the best possible education, personalised to their needs, aptitudes and aspirations.
	Doubling funding per pupil in real terms since 1997, record number of adults in the classroom, our national strategies, our focus on literacy and numeracy, personalised learning, progression, curriculum changes, behaviour, academies and a better choice of schoolsall these actions and achievements will continue to support this effort. Additionally, targeted interventions to address disadvantage and promote equality, such as City Challenge, Aiming High, approaches to benefit boys' attainment where they have been under-achieving, attracting more girls into physics, addressing prejudice driven bullying, and increased school funding for children from poor families, with special needs and/or with English as an additional language, will continue to support this effort.
	In addition to raising school standards we have made a number of far-reaching policy commitments to widen equality of opportunity for children. The cross-Government Every Child Matters programme will secure an expansion of early education, the development of Children's Centres and extended schools and the development of integrated multi-agency working to support children and young people with additional needs.
	Our 14 to 19 reforms will ensure equality of opportunity for all young people. We are creating an entitlement for every young person to be able to study the new Diplomas, and this will require schools, colleges and other providers to work together to deliver these new courses to all young people in their area. Diplomas will be offered at Levels 1, 2 and 3, and will include Functional Skills, so that young people get a real grounding in basic English, maths and ICT as well as more subject-specific knowledge. The entitlement to Diplomas is in addition to the existing National Curriculum offer, and will give young people much greater choice about what and where they study.
	We are working hard to tackle problems of disengagement and low attainment. The 14 to 19 reforms not only offer a broader curriculum, but also one with clearer pathways from Entry Level through to Level 2 qualifications and beyond. We want as many young people as possible to attain Level 2 qualifications by the time they reach the age of 19, as we believe it is Level 2 qualifications which will give them real employability.
	We want as many young people as possible to stay in education and training until the age of 18 so that they can maximise their potential and gain the key skills which will enable them to be successful in employment and in life. We will raise the compulsory education and training leaving age to 18 to ensure that all young people have as much of an opportunity as possible to set themselves up with key life skills.
	We will set out our commitments in more detail in the forthcoming Children's Plan.

Children: Exercise

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of five to 16-year-olds taking part in at least two hours high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum in each week; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much has been spent in each local authority on delivering the PE, school sport and club links strategy since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The annual PE and school sport survey collects data relating to participation in PE and school sport. The 2006/07 survey found that 86 per cent. of pupils take part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport a week.
	Investment in the PE, school sport and club links strategy has been 978.5 million in the five years to 2008. Funding is routed through School Sport Partnerships and partner organisations rather than local authorities.

Children: Poverty

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken to reduce the number of children living in poverty since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The Government are working to halve child poverty by 2010-11 and eradicate it by 2020. Since 1997, many steps have been taken to improve financial support for families, provide employment opportunities for all, provide support when people cannot work, tackle material deprivation through promoting financial inclusion and better housing and improve children's life chances and break cycles of deprivation (as set out in Child Poverty Review (July 2004) HM Treasury). A total of 600,000 UK children have been lifted out of relative poverty since 1998/99, (both before and after housing costs). The number of children in absolute poverty (before housing costs) has been more than halved since 1998/99.
	The Government have recently published a Delivery Agreement (DA), underpinning the Child Poverty Public Service Agreement (PSA) which, alongside other delivery agreements aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people, also impacts on child poverty. These comprise agreements aimed at narrowing the gap in educational achievement, raising educational attainment, improving children's health and well being, increasing the number of young people on the path to success, and improving the safeguarding of children. The Child Poverty Unit has also been set up to drive forward the Government's commitment to eradicate child poverty by bringing together policy and analytical civil servants from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Children's Centres: Low Incomes

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department provides to low income key workers who are parents of twins, triplets or greater multiple births and wish to arrange childcare via their local Sure Start Children's Centre.

Beverley Hughes: The Department does not provide guidance directly to parents who wish to arrange childcare via their local Sure Start Children's Centre. Our guidance for local authorities and children's centre managers (Sure Start Children's Centres Planning and Performance Management Guidance November 2006) makes it clear that all centres should provide advice and information for parents about local childcare options. Those centres serving the most disadvantaged communities will include early years provision (integrated early learning and full daycare places) within the services they offer at the centre.
	Parents can find out about local childcare options by contacting their local Children's Information Service on freephone 0800 2 346346 or on line at
	www.direct.gov.uk/childcare.

Class Sizes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many key stage 2 pupils were in classes of 30 pupils or more in each year since 1996.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary schools( 1) : key stage 2 classes as taught( 2: ) Position in January each year 1996 to 2007: England 
			   Number of pupils in classes of 31 or more pupils  Percentage of pupils in classes of 31 or more pupils 
			 1996 724,250 36.0 
			 1997 779,530 37.9 
			 1998 832,670 39.9 
			 1999 835,260 39.4 
			 2000 814,310 38.2 
			 2001 747,090 34.6 
			 2002 635,820 30.1 
			 2003 550,620 27.4 
			 2004 509,960 25.5 
			 2005 498,550 24.9 
			 2006 477,480 24.3 
			 2007 448,500 23.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Classes as taught by one teacher during a single selected period in each school on the day of the Census in January each year.  Note:  Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown.  Source:  School Census

Class Sizes: Cleethorpes

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the ratio of pupils to teachers was in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Cleethorpes constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the pupil:teacher ratios in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Cleethorpes constituency and England in January 2007.
	
		
			  Pupil:teacher ratios in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Cleethorpes constituency and England, January 2007 
			   Cleethorpes constituency  England 
			 Primary 22.2 21.8 
			 Secondary 17.1 16.5 
			  Source: School Census.

Departmental Data Protection

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds;
	(2)  how many documents sent either to or from the Department have been reported as missing in the past year.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Manpower

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many staff work in his Department, broken down by area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: 2,923 staff work in the Department. The following table provides a breakdown of this figure by area of work, as covered by each of the directorates:
	
		
			  DCSF directorate  Number of staff 
			 Children and families directorate 526 
			 Communications directorate 287 
			 Corporate services directorate 899 
			 Schools directorate 777 
			 Young people directorate 309 
			 Private office 53 
			 Legal advisers office 7 
			 Internal audit 38 
			 Non-directorate 27 
			 DCSF Total staff (headcount) 2923

Education: ICT

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government has taken to widen the availability of technology in support of learning.

Jim Knight: The Government set their strategy for technology in education in their Harnessing Technology document published in 2005. The priorities for the strategy are underpinned by a number of system-wide and sector-specific actions applying to the children's services, schools, 14 to 19, HE and lifelong learning sectors. In addition, there have been targeted programmes to put ICT in the homes of the most disadvantaged pupils, and a taskforce, set up earlier this year to look at how we might ensure sustainable access for all school age learners, is due to report next year.

Education: Local Authorities

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will rank local authorities by  (a) percentage change in real spending on education and  (b) percentage improvement in five A*-C GCSE results since 1997-98.

Jim Knight: The requested information for  (a) has been provided in the following table. The available information for  (b) about the percentage improvement in five A*-C GCSE and equivalent in each local authority for each year since 1977-98 is published in the Secondary School Achievement and Attainment tables in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Local  a uthority  1997-98  2005-06  Percentage increase between 1997-98 to 2005-06 
			 Middlesbrough 3,136 4,837 54 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 2,924 4,462 53 
			 Hartlepool 2,965 4,467 51 
			 Salford 3,012 4,534 51 
			 Rochdale 3,023 4,539 50 
			 Gateshead 2,931 4,396 50 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 3,113 4,655 50 
			 Oldham 2,989 4,467 49 
			 Sandwell 3,033 4,502 48 
			 South Tyneside 3,027 4,492 48 
			 Halton 3,109 4,609 48 
			 Dudley 2,716 4,021 48 
			 Birmingham 3,242 4,791 48 
			 Nottingham 3,322 4,906 48 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,968 4,378 48 
			 Cumbria 2,840 4,187 47 
			 Ealing 3,576 5,270 47 
			 Wolverhampton 3,100 4,563 47 
			 Bradford 3,113 4,579 47 
			 West Berkshire 2,945 4,327 47 
			 Bristol, City of 3,022 4,439 47 
			 Bolton 2,908 4,266 47 
			 Sunderland 2,979 4,370 47 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,926 4,290 47 
			 Rutland 2,792 4,093 47 
			 Reading 3,177 4,654 46 
			 Walsall 2,942 4,309 46 
			 Durham 2,928 4,279 46 
			 St. Helens 2,942 4,300 46 
			 Tower Hamlets 4,666 6,818 46 
			 Manchester 3,446 5,030 46 
			 Bury 2,783 4,059 46 
			 Islington 4,456 6,488 46 
			 Tameside 2,859 4,163 46 
			 North Tyneside 2,885 4,191 45 
			 Darlington 2,885 4,188 45 
			 Doncaster 3,005 4,357 45 
			 Wakefield 2,856 4,141 45 
			 Calderdale 2,933 4,248 45 
			 Kirklees 2,969 4,290 45 
			 Wokingham 2,874 4,150 44 
			 Leeds 2,949 4,254 44 
			 Barnsley 2,939 4,240 44 
			 Sefton 2,943 4,244 44 
			 Northumberland 2,917 4,206 44 
			 Leicester 3,224 4,649 44 
			 Hounslow 3,556 5,118 44 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 3,125 4,493 44 
			 Greenwich 4,117 5,918 44 
			 Wirral 3,025 4,347 44 
			 Liverpool 3,354 4,811 43 
			 Wigan 2,834 4,064 43 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,406 4,883 43 
			 Rotherham 2,976 4,265 43 
			 Knowsley 3,362 4,808 43 
			 North Lincolnshire 2,925 4,183 43 
			 Peterborough 3,124 4,466 43 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,981 4,257 43 
			 Coventry 3,092 4,416 43 
			 Blackpool 3,002 4,265 42 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4,554 6,448 42 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,185 4,503 41 
			 Warwickshire 2,828 3,995 41 
			 Harrow 3,326 4,690 41 
			 Southwark 4,444 6,264 41 
			 Barnet 3,408 4,802 41 
			 Merton 3,383 4,766 41 
			 Derby 3,025 4,262 41 
			 Sheffield 3,044 4,288 41 
			 Solihull 2,774 3,905 41 
			 Stockport 2,759 3,883 41 
			 Trafford 2,870 4,033 41 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,874 4,034 40 
			 Derbyshire 2,829 3,965 40 
			 Lincolnshire 2,959 4,142 40 
			 Lancashire 2,942 4,117 40 
			 Northamptonshire 2,886 4,039 40 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,760 3,861 40 
			 North Yorkshire 2,905 4,063 40 
			 Slough 3,609 5,047 40 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 2,839 3,964 40 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2,839 3,959 39 
			 Hillingdon 3,366 4,692 39 
			 Hackney 4,825 6,725 39 
			 Brent 3,951 5,499 39 
			 Haringey 4,056 5,645 39 
			 Luton 3,338 4,636 39 
			 Staffordshire 2,794 3,879 39 
			 North Somerset 2,881 3,999 39 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 3,303 4,583 39 
			 Lewisham 4,399 6,091 38 
			 Cheshire 2,853 3,949 38 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 3,147 4,341 38 
			 York 2,842 3,919 38 
			 Shropshire 2,957 4,075 38 
			 Cornwall 2,972 4,091 38 
			 Bedfordshire 3,035 4,174 38 
			 Herefordshire 3,044 4,185 38 
			 Wandsworth 4,204 5,776 37 
			 Telford and Wrekin 3,024 4,155 37 
			 Enfield 3,519 4,833 37 
			 Southampton 3,232 4,432 37 
			 Somerset 2,910 3,982 37 
			 Newham 4,050 5,534 37 
			 Wiltshire 2,940 4,017 37 
			 Gloucestershire 2,915 3,980 37 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,584 6,255 36 
			 Bromley 3,214 4,385 36 
			 Warrington 2,818 3,843 36 
			 Norfolk 3,033 4,130 36 
			 Camden 4,659 6,344 36 
			 East Sussex 3,120 4,244 36 
			 Portsmouth 3,161 4,299 36 
			 Buckinghamshire 3,124 4,238 36 
			 Kent 3,115 4,223 36 
			 Bracknell Forest 3,145 4,256 35 
			 Westminster 4,505 6,097 35 
			 Havering 3,167 4,279 35 
			 Waltham Forest 3,832 5,177 35 
			 Swindon 2,957 3,994 35 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,927 3,952 35 
			 Bexley 3,193 4,308 35 
			 Milton Keynes 3,254 4,391 35 
			 Hampshire 2,932 3,946 35 
			 Croydon 3,465 4,658 34 
			 Isle of Wight 3,234 4,343 34 
			 Medway 3,075 4,128 34 
			 Thurrock 3,284 4,400 34 
			 Oxfordshire 3,112 4,168 34 
			 Essex 3,133 4,190 34 
			 Dorset 2,967 3,968 34 
			 Suffolk 2,972 3,972 34 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,188 4,260 34 
			 Southend-on-Sea 3,235 4,319 34 
			 Brighton and Hove 3,273 4,370 34 
			 Surrey 3,110 4,146 33 
			 Plymouth 3,105 4,136 33 
			 Leicestershire 2,860 3,799 33 
			 Lambeth 4,886 6,489 33 
			 Sutton 3,358 4,458 33 
			 City of London 5,320 7,048 32 
			 Devon 3,049 4,037 32 
			 Worcestershire 2,957 3,910 32 
			 Hertfordshire 3,136 4,141 32 
			 Poole 2,974 3,906 31 
			 West Sussex 3,109 4,057 30 
			 Redbridge 3,496 4,545 30 
			 Torbay 3,147 4,074 29 
			 Bournemouth 3,147 3,991 27 
			  Notes: Price Base: Real terms at 2006-07 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 26.09.07 2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of Standard Spending Assessment/Education Formula Spending (EFS) settlements and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DCSF departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 3 to 19 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level. For those authorities in receipt of advance of grant under the transitional support arrangements for 2004-05, advance grant funding is included in the year of payment (2004-05). There will be a consequential reduction in DCSF grant for these LEAs in future years (either 2006-07 and 2007-08 or 2006-07 to 2008-09, depending on the terms on which the advance was given to the LEA). 4. The pupil numbers used to convert m figures to  per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC three year old maintained pupils and estimated 3 to 4 year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers. 5. Figures are rounded to the nearest . 6. Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal. 7. Figures are in real terms at 2006-07 prices.

Education: Research

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent in educational research in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I have interpreted 'educational research' to mean social research commissioned by the Department in all its guises since 1997. Until September 2004 social research funded from budgets other than the Department's central research budget was not monitored centrally; to gather that information now would incur disproportionate costs given the many changes to the structure of the Department over the years. The amounts recorded centrally as spent by the Department in each year since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			
			 1997 4,573,628 
			 1998 5,485,589 
			 1999 8,751,496 
			 2000 12,692,912 
			 2001 12,014,947 
			 2002 13,770,227 
			 2003 16,523,705 
			 2004 23,322,938 
			 2005 20,280,123 
			 2006 24,466,756 
			 2007 26,770,579

Education: Research

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what educational research was commissioned by his Department  (a) internally and  (b) externally in each month from November 2006 to December 2007.

Jim Knight: Since November 2007 the Department has commissioned external suppliers to undertake 75 research projects. The monthly breakdown of these follows. The Department does not hold information centrally about the research that is commissioned internally; to collect this now would incur disproportionate costs. The Department's analytical strategy, which is currently being updated to reflect the recent machinery of government changes, contains details of our high-level analytical priorities that are being addressed by both internally and externally commissioned work.
	 DCSF Externally Commissioned Research between November 2006 to December 2007
	 November 2006:
	Case management and outcomes for neglected children: A five-year follow-up study of neglected children who have been looked after and reunified
	Evaluation of 'Taking the Chair' (national development programme for chairs of governing bodies and head teachers)
	Evaluation of the early learning partnerships
	International civic and citizenship education study
	Noticing and helping the neglected child: a review of the literature
	The views of young people and their experience of education
	2006-07 school sport survey
	What role for the 3Rs? progress and attainment during primary school
	 December 2006
	Evaluation overlap co-ordination: targeted youth support pathfinders, budget holding lead professional and parenting early intervention
	Further analysis for the development of the 10-year youth strategyPhase 1
	Evaluation of the primary social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) work
	 January 2007
	Research on three- and four-year-old pathfinders
	Understanding the contribution of Sure Start local programmes to the task of safeguarding children's welfare
	Review of the national adoption register for England and Wales and the independent review mechanism in England
	Connexions direct website evaluation 2007
	OECD thematic review of school to work transition
	Evaluation of the first phase of health-led parent support demonstration sites
	Behavioural impact of changes in the Teachers Pension Scheme
	Office of Manpower Economics teachers' workload diary survey
	Determine the optimum supply of children's residential care
	Review of capacity in the parenting support market
	 February 2007
	Evaluation of disagreement resolution services
	The evaluation of the high performing specialist schools programme and specialist special schools
	 March 2007
	Commissioning and dissemination costs for the safeguarding children initiative
	International civic and citizenship education study (international fees)
	Phase 2further analysis for the development of the 10-year-old youth strategy
	An evaluation of education related parenting contracts
	Promotion of and training for the children's services statistical neighbour benchmarking tool
	 April 2007
	A review of existing evidence around the benefits of raising the participation age to 18
	Evaluation of local authority commissioning Pathfinders
	Evaluation support to the re-ach project
	Exploring issues surrounding post-16 participation in education and training
	Formalised peer mentoring pilot (Phase 2)
	Hosting the June 2007 meeting of the OECD's technical group for indicators of education systems.
	Local safeguarding children's boards programme
	Programme for international student assessment: national project management for PISA 2009
	A review of how fathers are recognised and supported through DCSF policy
	Evaluating the impact of the UK resilience programme
	Local authority music services provision for key stages 1 and 2
	 May 2007
	Evaluation of the enhanced key skills support programme
	Independent learning: a review of the evidence
	Literature review on complex expression and punctuation
	National centre for excellence in the teaching of mathematics (NCETM)
	Parents' involvement in children's education 2007
	Improving the outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils
	A review of existing evidence around the benefits of raising the participation age to 18economic assessment of the benefits
	Review of research centres
	 June 2007
	An evaluation of the impact of secondary social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme
	Evaluating the impact of the UK resilience programmebase line data collection
	International perspectives on parenting support
	Programme for international student assessment: national project management for PISA 2009
	Raising the participation age in education and training to 18: review of existing evidence of the benefits and challenges
	Towards the new children in need census
	Disabled children: numbers, characteristics and local service provision
	 July 2007
	Evaluation of choice advisers
	Evaluation of the progression pilot
	Literature review on inference and deduction skills for reading
	Research into work force remodelling strategies and their impact on school standards
	Research to explore how transport barriers to 14 to19 participation can be overcome
	The opinions of younger people about the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
	Evaluation of the London student pledge
	 August 2007
	Definitions of LA services and guidance for children in need
	Reviewing diploma development: an evaluation of the design of the diploma qualifications
	 September 2007
	After school science and engineering clubs
	An investigation of the role of the voluntary and community sector in supporting parents and families
	Health-led parenting projectreview of health-led interventions in pregnancy and early years
	Investigation of the role of schools with foundations
	Research into the allocation of special educational needs allowances in England and Wales.
	Review of section 58 of Children Act 2004parental opinion survey
	Evaluation of sustainable modes of travel strategies
	 October 2007
	In-depth understanding of parents and children and carers and young people
	Survey of parents and carers and children and young people
	The training and development requirements of senior local leaders and managers of children's services
	 November 2007
	Byron review on the impact of new technologies on children: research literature review
	Development in the first three sweeps of the millennium cohort study

English Language: Assessments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any maintained schools have declined to have their pupils take the key stage 3 English tests; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: No schools declined to enter pupils for the key stage 3 English tests in May 2007.

Financial Services: Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the curricular time needed for the teaching of financial capability at key stages 3 and 4.

Beverley Hughes: No formal assessment has been undertaken. It is for schools themselves to decide how to organise their timetables, including how much time to spend teaching each subject, working within National Curriculum requirements. To help schools plan for delivery of the new secondary curriculum, the National College of School Leadership and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust are running joint regional events for secondary school leaders and curriculum planners on whole curriculum design, to help them think through the process of designing and timetabling a curriculum in their own schools.

Financial Services: Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to monitor and audit the implementation of financial capability education at key stages 3 and 4.

Beverley Hughes: From September 2008, a new dedicated 'Economic wellbeing and financial capability(') strand will be introduced at key stage 3 and 4, as part of a revised curriculum for Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education. In September, my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families announced 11.5 million new funding over three years to support the teaching of financial education in schools. We are in the process of appointing a contractor to develop and implement a programme of support for schools in this area. The impact of this programme will be measured by independent evaluation, assessing outcomes through interaction with teachers, pupils and other key stakeholders. We will also use Ofsted evidence and research conducted by the Financial Services Authority to judge the effectiveness of our approach.

Free School Meals

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were  (a) eligible for and  (b) in receipt of free school meals in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by eligibility criteria.

Jim Knight: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 1,088,610 children were eligible for and 859,000 were in receipt of free school meals in January 2007, the latest date for which data are available. Information broken down by eligibility criteria is not collected centrally.
	The figures quoted are from the School Census of January 2007 and are rounded to the nearest 10. They cover LA maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools (including middle schools) and dually registered and boarding pupils.

Free School Meals: Child Tax Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children of recipients of child tax credit were  (a) eligible for and  (b) claiming free school meals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 10 December 2007
	The requested information is not available.

Head Teachers: Pay

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what freedom  (a) academies and  (b) other maintained schools have to set head teacher pay; what local authority approval over pay levels is required; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Academies are independent schools. One of their key features is the freedom to be innovative in the way they reward and retain staff, including their principals. However, we know that many academies base their pay and conditions on the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), which governs the pay of teachers and heads at maintained schools.
	Under the STPCD, heads at maintained schools must be paid on a seven-point range on the leadership group spine, but there are a number of flexibilities as to the basis for determining the range. Heads may also receive recruitment and retention incentives and benefits. Pay decisions are the responsibility of the governing body in all maintained schools with delegated budgets, and no local authority approval of decisions is required.

History: Ethnic Groups

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government has taken to encourage schools to teach Black history.

Jim Knight: This Department is committed to supporting equality and diversity through the National Curriculum. The revised secondary curriculum for history, to be taught from September 2008, now includes compulsory study of the British Empire and its impact on different people in Britain and overseas, pre-colonial civilisations, the nature and effects of the slave trade, and resistance and decolonisation. To mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade a new resource pack for teachers was developed by the Understanding Slavery Initiative as a key element of a national competition for schools, funded by the Government. In addition, the new Citizenship curriculum, aligned with the history curriculum, covers Living together in Modern Britain, including themes on immigration, the Commonwealth, and links to the study of the British Empire in history. In line with the recommendations of Sir Keith Ajegbo's review of diversity, the new citizenship curriculum will ensure young people will develop a historical understanding of issues that have shaped contemporary life in the UK and the values we share.

Literacy: Standards

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of levels of literacy amongst school children in  (a) England,  (b) Teesside and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to improve standards of literacy among school children; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There have been significant improvements in the standards of literacy in primary schools. This year 80 per cent. of pupils achieved the target level 4 and above in English, an increase of 17 percentage points compared to 1997.
	We have a strong platform for securing further improvements. From this autumn every primary school is using the renewed primary framework which puts phonics at the heart of the teaching of reading. We are also introducing nationally the Every Child A Reader (ECAR) programme. By 2011 this programme will provide 30,000 six-year-olds who have difficulty reading with intensive one-to-one tuition each year.
	We are also developing a new programme of intensive support for writing in primary schoolsEvery Child a Writerto ensure that every teacher uses the best teaching methods, including one-to-one coaching, in areas of writing which primary children find hardest to master.
	The time series for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland are shown in the following table below, but data are not yet available for 2007. The figures for Teeside are not published and therefore cannot be provided except at disproportionate costs. For England, comprehensive figures for all key stages with time series are published in the Statistical First Releases available in the House of Commons Library.
	
		
			  Key stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 results by Parliamentary constituency of school: 1997-2006 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  KS1 level 2+ 
			 Reading 80.6 80.6 82.1 84.6 84.6 86.4 87.4 86.3 85.4 86.9 
			 Writing 82.1 80.1 83.5 87.5 87.1 88.6 87.0 82.3 83.9 85.1 
			 Mathematics 87.5 86.1 87.0 91.5 91.5 90.0 94.6 91.1 91.3 92.3 
			
			  KS2 level 4+ 
			 English 63.7 67.1 71.1 75.9 78.5 72.2 75.1 78.4 78.9 79.3 
			 Mathematics 65.7 63.2 70.9 73.8 76.1 73.3 75.3 76.4 78.3 76.6 
			
			  KS3 level 5+ 
			 English 50.4 63.4 53.4 62.6 59.4 66.0 65.8 71.5 67.2 70.3 
			 Mathematics 54.0 55.3 56.0 59.2 62.0 63.0 67.2 71.1 70.0 78.0 
			 Science 54.8 52.7 46.4 53.4 61.0 62.8 63.9 64.4 65.0 70.8 
			
			  KS4 
			 5 A* to C 36.6 36.6 41.4 43.1 42.2 43.3 42.1 43.6 48.5 47.4 
			 5 A* to C including English and Mathematics 26.9 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 36.6 37.2 
			 (1) Figures for 5+A*-C including English and maths not available from 1998 to 2004

Primary Education: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions Stroud district council has had with  (a) Gloucestershire city council and  (b) his Department on a proposal to open a new primary school at Hunts Grove.

Jim Knight: The Department has not had any discussions with Stroud district council about proposals to establish a new primary school at Hunts Grove. It would be for Gloucestershire county council to confirm whether they have had such discussions with the district council.
	The normal route by which a new school can be established is for a local authority (LA) to run a competition, which enables a range of providers to put forward proposals for the new school. The process involves six statutory stages: Consultation; Published Notice Inviting Bids; Published Notice Summarising Bids; Representations; Decision; and Implementation. Our guidance on establishing new schools requires the LA to inform the Department when it begins the consultation stage. We have not been informed that Gloucestershire LA is consulting on plans for a new school in Hunts Grove.

Primary Education: Newcastle

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of parents did not receive their first choice of primary school for their children in the Newcastle local education authority area in the last period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Data on the percentage of parents who do not receive their first choice of primary school are not collected centrally.

Publications

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  when his Department commissioned the report on the Integrated Children's System: An Evaluation of the Practice, Process and Consequences of the ICS in CSSRs;
	(2)  when he plans to publish the report commissioned by his Department on the Integrated Children's System: An Evaluation of the Practice, Process and Consequences of the ICS in CSSRs; and when his Department received the report.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 5 December 2007
	The study was commissioned in June 2004. The first draft of the report was received in September 2006. A summary of the key findings from the research is being prepared for publication on the Department's website in early 2008.

Pupil Exclusions: Males

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many fixed period exclusions there were of boys in each local authority aged  (a) 12,  (b) 13,  (c) 14 and  (d) 15 years in each year from 2001-02 to 2007-08; what proportion of the total school population this represented in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The latest available data on exclusions relate to the 2005-06 school year.
	A table showing the requested information for 2005-06 has been placed in the Library.
	Information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the allocation of funding per pupil in Romford will be in the academic year 2008-09.

Jim Knight: The Department allocates education funding to local authorities so the requested information for Romford constituency is not available.
	The guaranteed per pupil unit of funding for 2008-09 for Havering local authority in cash terms is 4,137. This covers all funded pupils aged 3 to 15.
	 Note:
	1. This covers funding through the Dedicated Schools Grants (DSG).
	2. This figure does not represent the totality of 'education' funding allocated in that year. There are other grants that support the schools budget whose allocations have not yet been finalisedthese are not included in the provided DSG figure.

Schools: Disabled

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken to make schools accessible to pupils with disabilities since 1997.

Jim Knight: In 2001, the Government extended the scope of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) to cover access to education. As a result disabled children, students and adults seeking access to education now have rights against discrimination under part 4 of the DDA.
	The discrimination duties schools have under part 4 of the DDA mean that they must not, without justification, treat disabled pupils or students less favourably than pupils who are not disabled, and they must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled pupils and students are not put at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to those who are not disabled. Also, schools and local authorities (LAs) are under a duty to plan strategically to increase, over time, access for pupils with disabilities to schools. This duty includes planning to increase access to the school premises and to the curriculum, and providing written material in alternative formats to ensure accessibility.
	To support schools in meeting their responsibilities under the DDA, the then DFES published a training resource for schools and local authorities: 'Implementing the Disability Discrimination Act in schools and early years settings'.
	More resources are going into schools to support children with SEN and disabilities. Local authorities' planned spending on SEN stood at almost 4.9 billion in 2007-08, up from almost 2.8 billion in 2000-01. Indicative SEN funding in mainstream schools rose by 52 per cent. from almost 1.3 billion in 2003-04 to over 2.0 billion in 2007-08 and school budgets for special schools rose by 31 per cent. from almost 1.1 billion to over 1.4 billion over the same period. In addition, substantial capital fundinga total of some 800 million up to 2007-08 has been allocated to local authorities and schools through the Schools Access Initiative (SAI) and equivalent voluntary aided funding, which provides capital funding for projects to improve the accessibility of mainstream schools to disabled pupils. Further capital allocations totalling 340 million will be made during the years 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Schools: Discipline

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much notice a secondary school is required to give parents before keeping a child after school hours on detention.

Jim Knight: Schools are required to give parents at least 24 hours notice in writing of any detention outside normal school hours.

Schools: Sports

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect on participation in school sport of introducing British Summer Time in winter and double British Summer Time in summer.

Kevin Brennan: None.

Science: Standards

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change in international ranking of UK schools for science since 2000.

Jim Knight: The Government are encouraged by the findings set out in the full international report of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) that was published on 4 December 2007 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It shows that in science, the results for young people in England were significantly above the OECD average. Because this is the first time that science has been the main focus of PISA, the OECD states on page 32 of its international report, PISA 2006: science competencies for tomorrow's world, that it is not possible for any country to compare science learning outcomes from PISA 2006 with those of earlier PISA assessments.
	The study shows that in science we have performed well compared to other countries and that the best English teenagers are among the best in the world and that they greatly value science. But it also shows that a challenge still remains for schools and businesses to get students enthused about science. Work is already under way to meet this challenge, for instance:
	we are already changing the curriculum, giving more pupils the chance to study separate physics, chemistry and biology GCSEs and piloting 250 science clubs for 11 to 14-year-olds. We will also increase the number of science ambassadors (people with industry experience in science and engineering) to 18,000 by 2008 to work with teachers in schools to engage and enthuse young scientists;
	next year we will launch a programme of careers guidance to capture young people's imagination by showing them the range of career opportunities available to those who study science;
	we are planning a three-year programme of communications activity to support policy reforms in order to increase take up of science post-16.

Science: Teachers

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers with a level 4 qualification or above in  (a) physics,  (b) chemistry,  (c) biology and  (d) mathematics were teaching in English schools in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 : The information requested is not available in the format requested.
	Information on the number of full-time teachers in service in secondary schools by the highest post-A-level qualification in the subject they teach is available from the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey (SSCSS) an occasional sample survey last conducted in 2002 and 2007. 2007 figures are expected to be published in spring 2008.
	The following table provides the number of teachers teaching each subject area and the level of qualification in that subject in 2002, the latest information available.
	
		
			  Teachers in Service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schoolsHighest post-A-level qualifications( 1)  held in the subjects they teach( 2)  to year groups 7-13, England 
			   Percentages  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other Qual.  No Qual.  Total teachers (Thousand) 
			 Mathematics 42 ± 3 15 ± 2 9 ± 2 7 ± 1 2 ± 1 24 ± 2 28.2 
			 English 51 ± 3 15 ± 2 7 ± 1 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 20 ± 2 29.4 
			 
			 Combined/General science 62 ± 3 12 ± 2 10 ± 2 4 ± 1 1 ± 1 11 ± 2 28.3 
			 Biology(4) 71 ± 5 7 ± 3 11 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± 1 7 ± 3 5.6 
			 Chemistry(4) 72 ± 5 6 ± 3 12 ± 4 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 7 ± 3 5.2 
			 Physics(4) 63 ± 6 11 ± 4 15 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 3 4.7 
			 Other sciences(4) 10 ± 6 4 ± 4 5 ± 4 - ± - - ± - 80 ± 8 1.6 
			 
			 French 54 ± 3 7 ± 2 10 ± 2 3 ± 1 2 ± 1 23 ± 3 16.0 
			 German 47 ± 5 6 ± 3 13 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 30 ± 5 6.9 
			 Spanish 37 ± 7 8 ± 4 19 ± 6 - ± - 3 ± 2 33 ± 7 3.6 
			 Other modern languages 18 ± 8 - ± - 9 ± 7 - ± - 3 ± 4 71 ±10 1.4 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 26 ± 3 20 ± 3 7 ± 2 21 ± 3 2 ± 1 24 ± 3 20.9 
			 ICT(5, 6) 13 ± 2 6 ± 1 8 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 69 ± 3 18.9 
			 Other/Combined technology(5) 30± 1 0 13 ± 8 16 ± 7 18 ± 9 2 ± 3 20 ± 9 1.6 
			 
			 Business studies 30 ± 5 11 ± 4 9 ± 3 4 ± 2 3 ± 2 43 ± 5 6.5 
			 Classics 33 ± 7 - ± - 2 ± 4 2 ± - - ± - 63 ± 7 1.0 
			 History 57 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 6 ± 2 - ± - 23 ± 3 13.7 
			 Religious education 22 ± 3 8 ± 2 8 ± 2 4 ± 1 2 ± 1 57 ± 4 14.2 
			 Geography 53 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 5 ± 2 1 ± 1 25 ± 3 13.7 
			 Other social studies 35 ± 5 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 2 ± 1 - ± 1 54 ± 6 4.9 
			 Combined arts/humanities/social studies 5 ± 3 4 ± 2 7 ± 3 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 83 ± 5 5.3 
			 
			 Music 59 ± 5 15 ± 4 5 ± 2 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 13 ± 4 6.3 
			 Drama 25 ± 4 10 ± 3 12 ± 3 6 ± 2 2 ± 1 45 ± 5 8.1 
			 Art and design 54 ± 4 10 ± 3 7 ± 2 9 ± 3 1 ± 1 20 ± 4 9.3 
			 Physical education 25 ± 3 31 ± 3 6 ± 2 13 ± 2 2 ± 1 22 ± 2 21.4 
			 Careers education 2 ± 2 1 ± 2 3 ± 3 4 ± 4 3 ± 4 87 ± 7 1.5 
			 PSHE(6) 1 ± - 1 ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 61.4 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 95 ± 2 7.1 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 94 ± 2 9.0 
			 Other   32.8 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 33 ± - 10 ±- 7 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 44 ± - 388.4 
			 '-' = zero or less than 0.5. (1) Where a teacher has more than one post-A-level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree. (2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching. (3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds. (4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science. (5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology. (6) Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE. (7) 'Other' not included in total percentages.  Source: Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002.

Secondary Education: Pupil Exclusions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many fixed period exclusions there were in secondary schools in each year from 2003-04 to 2007-08; what percentage of the school population this represented in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The available information is given in the table.
	Information on the number of fixed period exclusions during 2006/07 is expected to be available in June 2008.
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools( 1, 2) : Number of fixed period exclusions by type of school England, 2003/04-2005/06( 3) 
			   2003/04( 3, 4)  2004/05( 4)  2005/06( 5) 
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 288,040 329,680 343,840 
			 Percentage of school population(6) 8.66 9.94 10.40 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Excludes city technology colleges and academies. (3) In 2003/04, information on fixed period exclusions was collected for the first time. (4) Information on fixed period exclusions has been derived from termly exclusion survey returns. (5) For the 2005/06 school year, information on fixed period exclusions from secondary schools was collected via the school census for the first time (the termly exclusions survey has been discontinued). For exclusions during 2006/07, information on fixed period exclusions will also be collected from primary and special schools. (6) The number of fixed period exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in January each year.  Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Termly exclusions survey and school census

Secondary Education: School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the level of take-up of school meals in secondary schools was since September 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The level of take-up of school lunches in secondary schools since September 2007 is not yet recorded. The School Food Trust (SFT) carries out an annual survey of school meal take-up. The second annual survey was conducted in April 2007; and a further survey will take place in 2008.
	Increasing take-up of school lunches is a priority for this Department and for the SFT. The SFT has a target to increase take-up of school lunches, from a 2005-06 baseline, by four percentage points by March 2008 and by 10 percentage points by autumn 2009. In addition, school lunch take-up is now an indicator in both the local government national indicator set, from which local authorities and their partners will agree their own targets in local area agreements; and public service agreement 12'Improve the health and well-being of children and young people'of the 2007 comprehensive spending review.

Secondary Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which secondary schools have gone into special measures in each month since 1st January 2007; and what proportion of pupils in each such school achieved five A* to C GCSEs in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

Jim Knight: The following table lists the secondary schools that have been placed in special measures by Ofsted since 1 January 2007. It also shows, where applicable, the percentage of pupils in each school who achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent in 2006. The results for 2007 will not be published until January 2008.
	
		
			  School name  Local authority  Date of Ofsted inspection  Percentage of pupils achieving five A*-C grades in 2006 
			 The Ridings Calderdale 18 January 2007 19 
			 Tividale Community Arts College Sandwell 18 January 2007 25 
			 Cheadle High School Staffordshire 25 January 2007 50 
			 West Sleekburn Middle (deemed secondary) School Northumberland 1 February 2007 (1)n/a 
			 Hameldon Community College Lancashire 22 February 2007 (2)n/a 
			 Elgar Technology College Worcestershire 22 February 2007 27 
			 Burnham Upper School Buckinghamshire 28 February 2007 37 
			 Grylls Community Middle (deemed secondary) School Kirklees 28 February 2007 (1)n/a 
			 Woodhouse High School Staffordshire 28 February 2007 40 
			 The City School Sheffield 8 March 2007 34 
			 Sheredes School Hertfordshire 15 March 2007 48 
			 City of Preston High School Lancashire 27 March 2007 24 
			 Redditch, Dingleside Middle (deemed secondary) School Worcestershire 26 April 2007 (1)n/a 
			 Elm Tree Middle (deemed secondary) School Suffolk 10 May 2007 (1)n/a 
			 Earlham High School Norfolk 16 May 2007 37 
			 Egerton Park Arts College Tameside 17 May 2007 41 
			 Alderman Blaxill School Essex 24 May 2007 34 
			 South Leeds High School Leeds 07/06/2007 27 
			 The Grays School Media Arts College Thurrock 29 June 2007 46 
			 Bexleyheath School Bexley 3 October 2007 41 
			 Bishops Park College Essex 11 October 2007 (3)0 
			 The Alfred Barrow School Cumbria 12 October 2007 21 
			 Ulverston Victoria High School Cumbria 31 October 2007 65 
			 Parrs Wood High School Manchester 31 October 2007 71 
			 Costessey High School Norfolk 31 October 2007 44 
			 Billingham Campus School Stockton on Tees 31 October 2007 32 
			 (1) Middle deemed secondary schools have no GCSE level results. (2) School opened in. (3) Only seven pupils in cohort September 2006.

Teachers: Pay

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the consequences are for a school which does not comply with the stipulations of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document.

Jim Knight: holding answer 10 December 2007
	 Local authorities and governing bodies of maintained schools must comply with the provisions of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document because it has statutory force. Any failure on the part of LAs or governing bodies to comply with its provisions would therefore be unlawful and actionable by teachers by way of judicial review.
	In addition to this, those provisions which relate to conditions of employment other than pay have effect as terms of the teachers contracts of employment(1), breach of which could give rise to claims by teachers before the courts/employment tribunal for compensation or other remedies.
	The Secretary of State also has powers under section 497 of the Education Act 1996(2)( )to intervene and direct a local authority or school governing body to comply with any provision of the STPCD, where he is satisfied that it is in default of its statutory obligation to do so.
	(1) By virtue of section 122(2)(b) Education Act 2002.
	(2) The so-called 'general default powers'.

Teachers: Pay

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the consequences are for non-maintained schools which fail to comply with the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document where this is included in teachers' contracts.

Jim Knight: holding answer 10 December 2007
	Non-maintained schools which incorporate the provisions of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document into their contracts of employment with teachers would be in breach of contract if they fail to comply with any of those provisions. Such a breach could give rise to a claim by the teacher before the courts/employment tribunal for compensation or other remedy.

Teachers: Standards

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken to improve the quality of teaching in primary and secondary schools since 1997.

Jim Knight: Since 1997 we have focused strongly on improving the quality of teaching at both primary and secondary levels through the Primary National Strategy and the Secondary National Strategy. They are our key levers to raise standards of teaching and learning in all four Key Stages, and it is through them that we provide a wealth of training, guidance and materials aimed at supporting teachers and improve the quality of teaching. We continue to invest in and offer a range of different ways of training to teach. Through all of this we support teachers in helping children make the fastest possible progress.
	The quality of teaching in our primary and secondary schools has risen significantly since 1997 and Ofsted say that we have the best generation of teachers ever. This is evidenced by ever increasing standards in literacy and mathematics. In total over 375,000 more young people gained 5 or more good GCSEs over the period 1997-2006. Provisional results for 2007 show that 60.3 per cent. achieved 5 A*-C grades (an increase of 13.4 percentage points since 1997) and 45.7 per cent. achieved 5 A*-C GCSEs including English and maths (up 9.7 percentage points since 1997). At primary in 2007 80 per cent. of 11-year-olds achieved the target level 4 or above in English and 77 per cent. did so in maths. In 1997 less than two thirds of 11-year-olds reached this level in either subject (63 per cent. in English and 62 per cent. in maths).
	But we want to do even more to improve the quality of teaching. Through revised performance management arrangements, introduced in September, we will ensure that all teachers have objectives which reflect their own individual development needs.

Teachers: Training

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students were recruited for initial teacher training in  (a) science,  (b) mathematics and  (c) design technology and information and communication technology in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The following tables show recruitment through mainstream and employment-based routes (EBR) for initial teacher training (ITT) courses for science, mathematics, design and technology and information and communications technology between 1997/98 and 2006/07.
	
		
			  Recruitment to mainstream initial teacher training courses( 1, 2) , academic year 1997/98 to 2006/07, England 
			  Secondary subject( 3)  1997/98  1998/99  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07 
			 Mathematics 1,460 1,120 1,300 1,290 1,550 1,670 1,940 2,030 1,920 2,000 
			 Science 2,790 2,280 2,360 2,410 2,590 2,700 2,870 2,830 2,890 2,990 
			 Design and Technology 1,030 810 790 860 970 960 1,070 940 940 1,010 
			 Information and Communications Technology 380 400 460 520 620 800 930 960 920 930 
			 (1) Recruitment figures for 2006/07 are provisional and are subject to change. (2) Includes universities and other HE institutions, SCITT and OU, but excludes employment-based routes. Recruitment numbers shown are rounded to the nearest 10. (3) Excludes vocational subjects e.g. applied ICT, applied science, engineering from 2003/4 onwards.  Source: TDA survey of ITT providers. 
		
	
	
		
			  Recruitment to initial teacher training, employment-based routes( 1) , academic year 1997/98 to 2006/07, England 
			  Secondary subject( 3)  1997/98  1998/99  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  Autumn term  2006/07( 2) 
			 Mathematics * 30 70 120 300 390 570 560 520 290 
			 Science * 50 80 170 460 520 660 750 660 400 
			 Design and Technology(3) 0 30 60 190 240 300 320 290 290 190 
			 Information and Communications Technology 0 0 20 80 230 340 370 390 350 210 
			 (1) Recruitment numbers shown are rounded to the nearest 10. '*'represents less than 10. (2) Recruitment in 2006/07 is for the autumn term only and is provisional. Figures from 2003/04 onwards are subject to future revision. (3) Design and technology includes textiles.  Note: Figures prior to 2002/03 are taken from TDA records as at the end of the academic year. Figures for 2002/03 onwards are taken from the TDA EBR database as at January 2007 and are not directly comparable with previous years. 2003/04 was the first year of the Teach First programme. Teach First data for 2003/04 and 2004/05 are at November of the academic year. Teach First data for 2005/06 and autumn term 2006/07 are at January 2007.  Sources: TDA Employment Based Routes Database. Teach First Organisation. 
		
	
	Updated tables, incorporating final 2006/07 and provisional 2007/08 recruitment data, are scheduled to be published in January 2008.

Truancy

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the rate of unauthorised absence was of 15 to 16-year-olds in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The readily available information relates to absence rates by national curriculum year group. In 2005/06 the unauthorised absence rate of pupils in national curriculum year group 11 (typically aged 15 at the start of the school year) was 2.43 per cent.(1).
	Information on absence is collected centrally for those pupils who are of compulsory school age. Absence rates for pupils who are aged 16 (at the start of the school year) are not collected centrally.
	(1) Across maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies.

Young People: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many 16 to 18-year-olds in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency and  (b) Lancashire were not in education, employment or training in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The Department publishes annual estimates of the number of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England. These estimates cannot be disaggregated to local authority or constituency level.
	However, we can use information collected by the Connexions Service to estimate the number and proportion of young people NEET at local authority level. The 2006 estimate for Lancashire is that 2,820 (7.5 per cent.) of 16 to 18-year-olds were NEET. Figures are not available separately for Ribble Valley constituency.

Young People: Unemployment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people aged 18 in  (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England have not been in education, employment or training in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The Department publishes annual estimates of the number of 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET), and figures for 1997 to 2006 are shown in the table.
	
		
			   18-year-olds NEET  Percentage 
			 1997 68,300 11.6 
			 1998 75,600 12.5 
			 1999 60,900 10.2 
			 2000 76,900 13.1 
			 2001 71,000 11.8 
			 2002 75,400 12.1 
			 2003 79,900 12.3 
			 2004 80,100 12.3 
			 2005 90,800 13.6 
			 2006 (provisional) 100,700 14.8 
		
	
	The 18-year-old population has risen from 602,000 to 680,000 during this period.
	These estimates cannot be disaggregated to regional, local authority or constituency level. However, we can use information collected by the Connexions Service to estimate of the number of 18-year-olds NEET at local authority level since 2005, and regionally since 2003. These are shown in the table as follows.
	
		
			  As at December  South Tyneside  Percentage  North East  Percentage  England  Percentage 
			 2003   4,190 12.4 53,770 8.8 
			 2004   4,540 13.2 47,420 8.0 
			 2005 320 15.6 4,350 12.6 49,540 8.1 
			 2006 240 12.4 4,570 13.2 50,020 8.1 
			  Note: Figures are not available for Jarrow constituency. 
		
	
	The DCSF and Connexions estimates are collected very differently. They use different definitions of age and NEET. As a result, Connexions estimates are lower, although the two sets of figures generally show a similar trend across a period of time.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

National Institute for Medical Research: Industrial Health and Safety

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the potential biosecurity risk to central London from the planned relocation of the National Institute for Medical Research.

Ian Pearson: Biosecurity will be a major consideration for the consortium developing the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation (UKCMRI). The consortium will be working closely with the relevant agencies, including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and as plans develop they will ensure that the facilities meet regulatory requirements.

Adult Education: Concessions

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many local authorities offered concessionary fees for adult education courses for people over the age of 65 years in the 12-month period  (a) before and  (b) after the introduction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.

Bill Rammell: We recognise the importance of adult learning in meeting a range of personal, social and community needs and we know how much people, particularly older learners, value and enjoy their courses. The Government remain fully committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all learners and that learning serves the needs of the whole community, including older people both within and outside the work force.
	Fee concessions for further education (FE) provision are offered at the discretion of FE providers, including local authorities (LA). As a result information on those learners who receive these concessions is not held by my Department.
	We do not want older people to be priced out of learning. Therefore, in line with our fee remission policies, older learners on limited incomes should not have to contribute to the tuition costs of their learning. We define limited incomes as receiving a means-tested benefit like housing benefit, income support or the pension (guarantee) credit.
	Many older people will also be able to take advantage of free access to literacy and numeracy courses, as well as free tuition to undertake first full level 2 vocational qualifications.
	However, I would like to make clear that the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 do not bar providers from offering fee discounts for learners aged 65 and over. They allow for such positive action provided that it can be objectively justified. I refer the hon. Member to my written statement on 16 May 2007,  Official Report, column 35WS.

Animal Experiments: Finance

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much of the budget held by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research is used for the replacement of the use of animals in research.

Ian Pearson: Since it was launched in 2004, the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research has committed 5.3 million to support 31 research projects. 18 of these projects, at a total cost of 3.4 million, are aimed at replacing the use of animals in scientific research and testing.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many officials from his Department attended the cross-government working group on anti-Semitism on 11 October, broken down by grade; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which Ministers from his Department attended the cross-government working group on anti-Semitism on 11 October; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The meeting was attended by one official from my Department, who had the correct policy knowledge for the area. The official's grade was Higher Executive Officer. No Ministers attended the meeting from any Government Department, as the working group has delegated responsibility to take forward the 35 recommendations published in the Government's response.
	I can assure you that my Department deplores any acts of racial or religious intolerance in higher education. We are committed to tackling any form of anti-Semitism and racial intolerance in general. Although higher education institutions have primary responsibility for ensuring equal opportunities and for abiding by legislation in this area, and taking forward the recommendations in the inquiry's report which were addressed to the sector, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is committed to encouraging the higher education sector to ensure that discrimination has no place in any of its policies or practices.

Apprentices

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of  (a) the 800 level 2 adult training places,  (b) the 500,000 level 3 adult training places and  (c) the 400,000 apprenticeship places announced by his Department on 16 November 2007 will be filled in 2010-11.

David Lammy: holding answer 11 December 2007
	 We intend for all the publicly funded places made available in 2010/11 to be filled. World Class Skills: Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England sets out how we will reform provision and create the demand to do that.

Apprentices: Cleethorpes

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeships there were in Cleethorpes constituency in  (a) 2004-05,  (b) 2005-06 and  (c) 2006-07.

David Lammy: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships can be derived from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts from August to July in each year in Humberside local LSC area. (These figures are not readily available at parliamentary constituency level.)
	
		
			  Thousands 
			   Advanced apprenticeships  Apprenticeships 
			 2004/05 0.8 2.3 
			 2005/06 0.8 2.3 
			 2006/07 1.0 2.1

English Language: Teachers

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many qualifying English for Speakers of Other Languages teachers with a degree from  (a) a Russell Group and  (b) another British university there were in each of the last 10 years in (i) England and (ii) London.

Jim Knight: The information is not collected centrally.

Further Education Funding Council: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of the Further Education Funding Council's budget was spent on in-house education and training in each of its last four years of existence;
	(2)  how much the Further Education Funding Council spent on administration costs in each of its final four years of operation.

Bill Rammell: The Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) was dissolved when the Learning and Skills Council became operational in April 2001.
	The following table sets out the staff training costs of the FEFC and what proportion this was of the total spend on administration:
	
		
			  FEFC annual report  In-house staff training costs (000)  Administration costs  (000)  Percentage of spend on administration 
			 1997-98 336 23,972 1.4 
			 1998-99 362 23,323 1.6 
			 1999-2000 482 25,526 1.9 
			 2000-01 438 32,410 1.4 
		
	
	The following table sets out the administration costs from FEFC's annual reports published for each of the last four years of its operation:
	
		
			   000 
			   Administration costs 
			 1997-98 23,972 
			 1998-99 23,323 
			 1999-2000 25,526 
			 2000-01 32,410

Further Education: Fees and Charges

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what guidance has been issued to further education colleges on fee payments for courses by persons claiming income support; and what steps have been taken to enforce the rules on fee exemptions.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) issues annual guidance to colleges on which learners and which provision are eligible for fee remission or exemption. Guidance for the current academic year is in the 'Funding Guidance for Further Education in 2007/081' booklet issued by the LSC in March 2007 and the 'LSC Learner Eligibility Guidance 2007/08' booklet published in July 2007.
	The guidance is clear that colleges have a mandatory duty to exempt from all costs learners aged 16-18 and all learners undertaking Skills for Life courses. It also describes other categories of LSC-funded provision where learners may be eligible for full fee remission. These include those on their first full level 2 qualifications, 19-25 year olds on their first full level 3 qualification and those in receipt of income-related benefits including income support. Colleges will be subject to audit arrangements on the funding they claim in respect of learners including those for whom they claim full fees.
	Any provision funded by other funding bodies, including local authorities, will not be covered by the LSC guidance, but may be covered by separate arrangements for fee remission that are agreed with that funding body.

Higher Education: Admissions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what definition the UCAS form uses of an EU national; who drew up the form using that term; whether the use of the term is a European Union requirement; and if he will review the UCAS form.

Bill Rammell: The term EU National on the UCAS application indicates that the applicant should identify him or herself as an EU national if he or she is a citizen of one of the 26 nation states which, in addition to the UK, make up the European Union. UCAS drew up the form using this term, which is not an EU requirement. The purpose of this question is to provide guidance to institutions on the residency of the potential student. I see no reason for UCAS to review the form.

Higher Education: Admissions

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which 10 universities attracted the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest numbers of students from socio-economic classes (i) C, (ii) D and (iii) E in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The available information is shown in the accompanying tables. The figures show proportions of UK-domiciled young (aged under 21) entrants to full-time first degree courses at each higher education institution, who are from lower social classes over the period 1997/98-2001/02, and the proportions from lower socio-economic classes over the period 2002/03-2005/06. The social classification in the student data changed in the 2002/03 academic year, and the two classifications are not comparable.
	This information is taken from the annual performance indicators in higher education, which are currently published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
	For each institution, the social class/socio-economic class proportion is shown against a benchmark. This is a sector average which is adjusted for each institution to take into account the following factors: subject of study, qualifications on entry and age on entry.
	The benchmarks can be used to show how a university is performing compared to the sector as a whole, and also help to determine whether a meaningful comparison can be drawn between two or more universities.
	Figures for 2006/07 will be available in 2008.
	There are some points which need to be considered when using the accompanying tables:
	1. The tables include the numbers of young entrants to each institution. From this it is clear that the number of students at each institution varies widely, and some have less than 100 students. Figures based on small numbers such as these should be treated with care.
	2. Each year some institutions do not have figures included in the performance indicators publication due to problems with their data. It is possible that any of these could have been placed in the highest and lowest groups if the data for that year had been available.
	The proportion of students from low social classes/low socio-economic classes for each institution has been calculated using information on students whose social class/socio-economic class background is known. A significant proportion of students' social backgrounds are unknown and so exact numbers cannot be determined.
	
		
			  Proportion of UK-domiciled young (under 21) full-time first degree entrants to higher education institutions, who are from socio-economic classes 4, 5, 6 and 72005/06 
			   Number who are young  Percent from NS-SEC classes 4, 5, 6, and 7  Bench mark (percentage) 
			  Ten institutions with highest socio-economic class proportions:
			 Harper Adams University College 260 59.0 36.5 
			 The University of Wolverhampton 2,490 50.0 38.1 
			 The University of East London 1260 48.8 37.7 
			 The University of Greenwich 1,825 47.1 37.2 
			 The University of Teesside 1,500 45.6 37.6 
			 Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies 370 45.4 40.3 
			 Middlesex University 2,370 44.6 37.8 
			 Newman College of Higher Education 330 44.3 36.1 
			 The University of Bradford 1,500 43.7 34.6 
			 University of Bedfordshire 685 43.0 39.4 
			 
			  Ten institutions with lowest socio-economic class proportions:
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 575 17.5 19.4 
			 University College London 2,080 17.5 20,5 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 1,295 17.3 20.8 
			 The University of York 1,885 17.1 20.5 
			 The University of Nottingham 4,200 16.9 22.3 
			 Royal Academy of Music 45 16.7 25.9 
			 The University of Bristol 2,845 16.4 20.7 
			 University of Durham 3,195 16.4 21.9 
			 University of London (Institutes and activities) 30 12.0 19.9 
			 The University of Oxford 2,790 11.4 18.3 
			  Notes: 1. The socio-economic group classification was introduced in 2002/03 to replace the social class groupings. The two classifications are not directly comparable. 2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Higher Education: Age Participation Rates

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether he plans to extend the study of the young participation in higher education rate by local authority beyond 2000.

Bill Rammell: The Higher Education Funding Council for England will extend the analysis referred to in PQ 172593. This work is under way and nearing completion. Updated annual young HE participation rates covering the young cohorts who reached 18 between 2001 and 2004 will be released for local geographies, including local authorities, early next year.

Higher Education: Newcastle

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he plans to take to encourage an increase in undergraduate course applications from those school leavers who reside in the Newcastle local education authority area.

Bill Rammell: Attainment at GCSE level is a key factor in determining participation in higher education. Nationally, at GCSE, the A*-C pass rate increased to 63.3 per cent. in 2007 from 62.4 per cent. in 2006. Academies are challenging the culture of under-achievement and, in Newcastle, Excelsior Academy is opening in September 2008. We are also seeking to strengthen schools' partnerships with universities to raise standards further.
	In July, we announced further improvements to the financial help available to students. No students need to be deterred from higher education because of the costs. We have also announced that the national Aimhigher programme, which runs a range of activities to raise aspirations and increase pupil attainment, will continue for another three years. The vast majority of schools and colleges in Newcastle have one or more Aimhigher-funded Progression Coaches to provide tailored support to groups and individuals. Aimhigher in Newcastle is also looking at ways to raise awareness of vocational higher education options through Foundation Degree taster courses, and is raising the attainment of learners by investigating awards such as the Certificate of Personal Effectiveness.

Learning and Skills Council for England: Recycling

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what  (a) volume and  (b) percentage of its waste the Learning and Skills Council recycled in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: In May this year the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) published its Sustainable Development Action Plan. Over the next 10 years the LSC aims to have become an exemplar organisation by integrating sustainable development into its policies and everyday practice. Information on the volume of waste recycled is not collected. The LSC currently recycles shredded waste paper, fluorescent tubes and toner cartridges.

National Institute for Medical Research

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the features of the National Institute for Medical Research's site at Mill Hill that make a relocation of the institute necessary.

Ian Pearson: The Government have accepted the Medical Research Council's case to relocate the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) to a central London location based on the council's vision for the institute, as this would:
	enhance the multidisciplinary nature of NIMR's work, providing much improved access to other biomedical researchers, physical scientists, engineers and mathematicians; and
	provide opportunities to collaborate more closely with clinicians and strengthen the impact of translational research, thereby exploiting alongside the medical and healthcare cluster in central London.

School Leaving

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what research was used as the basis for calculating the economic benefits of increasing the compulsory education age to 18 years.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The basis of the estimate of economic benefits of raising the participation age (RPA) in education or training is new joint research by Sheffield university and DCSF. The research's central estimate of the additional benefits of RPA is around 2.4 billion for a single cohort of young people discounted over their lifetimes. This research was published alongside the introduction of the Education and Skills Bill to the House on 29 November.
	For further details of the methodology and data sources used to estimate the economic benefits of RPA (and the magnitude of the benefits under alternative scenarios), the full report is accessible at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RW026.pdf. The research will also be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Science: Qualifications

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what percentage of degrees awarded in science, technology, engineering or mathematics were awarded as equivalent or lower-level qualifications in the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many students in higher education studying for a science, technology, engineering or mathematics degree were pursuing equivalent or lower-level qualifications in the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The precise information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the following table sets out the number and proportion of students studying the major science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects as equivalent or lower-level qualifications (ELQ) in 2005/06. Subject to consultation, we plan to continue to support vulnerable strategic subjects including STEM subjects studied as ELQs. The 100 million to be redistributed as a result of our ELQ policy will also enable more students to study STEM subjects as first degrees than would otherwise be the case.
	We have already announced that we will be spending an extra 75 million over three years to support relatively expensive STEM subjects.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of students studying major STEM subjects as equivalent or lower qualifications 
			  Subject  ELQ students  ELQ students as percentage of total 
			 Maths 590 4 
			 Physics 180 2 
			 Chemistry 140 2 
			 Biology 340 3 
			 General Engineering 320 5 
			 Electronic Engineering 300 2 
			 Mechanical Engineering 230 3

Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will break down by scheme the 7.5 million training places announced in Her Majesty's Gracious Speech.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Statement of Priorities published on 16 November set out the funding strategy for post-16 further education (FE) and skills for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) period (2008-09 to 2010-11). Total investment on post-16 FE and skills will increase from 11.2 billion in 2007-08 to 12.4 billion in 2010-11.
	Funding for adult participation will be 3.6 billion in 2010-11, an increase of 17 per cent. compared with 2007-08. This will support on average 3 million adult learners each year on programmes ranging from on-line courses to full-time qualifications taken in FE colleges (this includes learners funded through the adult learner responsive and employer responsive models, and the adult safeguarded budget).
	The 7.5 million adult learners refers to the total adult places funded through the adult learner and employer responsive models (rounded to the nearest half a million) as set out in the joint Grant Letter to the LSC from my Department and Department for Children, Schools and Families. Annex C to the Grant Letter provides a breakdown of these figures by programme and can be found at
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications.html
	Between 2007/08 and 2010/11, the funding settlement will allow us to increase the number of fully funded adult places at full level 2 (5 A*-C GCSEs or their equivalent) by over 30 per cent., and at full level 3 (2 A-levels or more or their equivalent) by around 148 per cent. It will also support an additional 30,000 apprenticeship places for learners aged 25 or over during the CSR period. 1.5 billion per year will be available to support a full range of pre-level 2 first steps and progression programmes.

Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the number of individuals who will receive a training place following the announcement by his Department on 16 November 2007.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Statement of Priorities published on 16 November set out the funding strategy for post-16 further education (FE) and skills for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) period (2008-09 to 2010-11). Total investment on post-16 FE and skills will increase from 11.2 billion in 2007-08 to 12.4 billion in 2010-11.
	Funding for adult participation will be 3.6 billion in 2010-11, an increase of 17 per cent. compared with 2007-08. This will support on average over 3 million adult learners each year on programmes ranging from on-line courses to full-time qualifications taken in FE colleges. Specifically, it will allow us to increase the number of fully funded adult places at full level 2 (5 A*-C GCSEs or their equivalent) by over 30 per cent. and at full level 3 (2 A-levels or more or their equivalent) by around 148 per cent. It will also support an additional 30,000 apprenticeship places for learners aged 25 or over during the CSR period and 1.5 billion per year will be available to support a full range of pre-level 2 first steps and progression programmes.
	Funding for young people (aged 16 to 19) will be 6.9 billion in 2010-11, an increase of 14 per cent. compared with 2007-08. This puts the Government firmly on track to drive up participation and attainment towards the goal of achieving 86 per cent. participation by the end of the CSR period and on to 90 per cent. by 2013, while significantly narrowing achievement gaps through access to a wider range of progression routes, including through a significant expansion of apprenticeships and the roll-out of the new diplomas.
	Annex C to the joint Grant Letter to the LSC from my Department and Department for Children, Schools and Families provides a breakdown of the number of funded places by programme and can be found at:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications.html

Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many of the training places announced by his Department on 16 November 2007 will be provided  (a) full-time,  (b) part-time and  (c) via online arrangements.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Statement of Priorities published on 16 November set out the funding strategy for post-16 further education (FE) and skills for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) period (2008-09 to 2010-11). Total investment on post-16 FE and skills will increase from 11.2 billion in 2007-08 to 12.4 billion in 2010-11.
	Funding for adult participation will be 3.6 billion in 2010-11, an increase of 17 per cent. compared with 2007-08. This will support on average over 3 million adult learners each year on programmes ranging from online courses to full-time qualifications taken in FE colleges. Specifically, it will allow us to increase the number of fully funded adult places at full level 2 (5 A* - C GCSEs or their equivalent) by over 30 per cent. and at full level 3 (2 A-levels or more or their equivalent) by around 148 per cent. It will also support an additional 30,000 apprenticeship places for learners aged 25 or over during the CSR period and 1.5 billion per year will be available to support a full range of pre-level 2 first steps and progression programmes.
	Funding for young people (aged 16-19) will be 6.9 billion in 2010-11, an increase of 14 per cent. compared with 2007-08. This puts the Government firmly on track to drive up participation and attainment towards the goal of achieving 86 per cent. participation by the end of the CSR period and on to 90 per cent. by 2013, while significantly narrowing achievement gaps through access to a wider range of progression routes, including through a significant expansion of apprenticeships and the roll out of the new diplomas.
	Annex C to the joint Grant Letter to the LSC from my Department and the Department for Children, Schools and Families provides a breakdown of the number of funded places by programme and can be found at:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications.html

Union Learning Fund

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department has commissioned any assessment of the effectiveness of the Union Learning Fund in the past three years.

David Lammy: An evaluation of the Union Learning Fund (2001 to 2005), which surveyed a range of employers, individual learners and unions involved in ULF, was undertaken on behalf of the former Department for Education and Skills by York Consulting Ltd. Key findings from this evaluation indicate that:
	almost two thirds of those employers who responded had a learning agreement in place as a result of ULF and 75 per cent. reported an increase in Skills for Life learning;
	11,000 union learning reps had been recruited but many were not as active as they would like due to a lack of employer support;
	153,000 people had accessed learning opportunities, the vast majority of whom were able to apply their skills in the workplace;
	Unions had successfully used ULF funds to develop their learning policies and strategies, improving their capacity to support the learning agenda.
	A copy of this evaluation report is available in the House of Commons Library.

Union Learning Fund

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what funding was allocated to the Union Learning Fund in each year since 1998.

David Lammy: Trade unions have a key role to play in promoting the development of learning and skills in the workplace. To help them do this more effectively we introduced the Union Learning Fund in 1998. This source of funding is helping trade unions use their influence with employers, employees and training providers to encourage greater take-up of learning at work and boost their own capacity as learning organisations. Since 1998 annual expenditure on the Union Learning Fund has been as follows:
	
		
			   Annual expenditure on Union Learning fund (million) 
			 1998/99 1.7 
			 1999/2000 3.1 
			 2000/01 3.9 
			 2001/02 6.3 
			 2002/03 7.4 
			 2003/04 12.2 
			 2004/05 14.4 
			 2005/06 15.4 
			 2006/07 16.9 
		
	
	The budget for 2007/08 is 18.4 million
	With the help of the Union Learning Fund, trade unions and their union learning representatives have been really successful in working with employers to raise skill levels in the work place. There are now over 18,000 trained union learning reps who have helped over 400,000 workers back into learning since the Fund was introduced. Over 150,000 last year alone, many of whom were Skills for Life learners, those most in need of new skills who employers and training providers find it so difficult to reach.

Young People: Wirral

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people between the ages of 18 and 24 years in Wirral, West constituency are not in education, employment or training; and what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of those entering higher education.

Bill Rammell: Annual average estimates of the numbers and proportion of people who are not in education, employment or training are available at a local level from the Annual Population Survey (APS). However, this information cannot be provided for the 18 to 24 age group for the Wirral, West constituency because the number in the sample is so small that ONS rules on protecting confidentiality do not permit disclosure. Estimates for 2006 for Wirral local education authority (LEA), and by comparison Merseyside/Halton Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the North West and England, are shown in the table as follows. As with all sample surveys, estimates from the APS are subject to sampling variability and the smaller the geography the smaller the sample and hence the larger the sampling variability relative to the estimate. Estimates for small areas should therefore be treated with caution.
	
		
			  18 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (APS, 2006) 
			  Area  Number  Total  Per cent 
			 Wirrall LEA 4,000 22,000 20 
			 Merseyside/Halton LSC 25,000 136,000 19 
			 North West 98,000 589,000 17 
			 England 686,000 4,248,000 16 
			 (1) Based on academic ageie age as at the previous 31 August. For example, someone of academic age 18 is the age one would most often expect someone to enter higher education if they do not take a gap year (ie they will be in their third academic year since completing compulsory education). 
		
	
	The Government remain committed to ensuring that all those with the merit and potential to benefit from higher education are able and willing to do so. The Government will provide an average real-terms increase in funding for higher education of around 2.5 per cent. per annum to 2011, which means that in 2010-11 there will be over 1.5 billion of additional funding compared with 2007-08, with funded student numbers rising to around 1.2 million by 2010-1150,000 more than now. Alongside this the Government support the Aimhigher Programme, which seeks to raise aspirations and motivation to enter higher education among young people who are from under-represented backgrounds. The programme was launched nationally in August 2004, is delivered through 45 area-based partnerships of schools, colleges and higher education institutions.
	The Government also offer non-repayable grants. The full grant will be 2,835 per annum from September 2008. At the same time the income threshold for a full grant for new entrants will increase from 17,500 to 25,000 and for partial grant to 60,005. Student numbers in England are up by 323,000 since 1997 to 1.95 million in 2005/06.